Dangerous Liaisons
by Drace929
Summary: AU- AJ starts a new job and her entire world changes. Who would have thought a simple job would pull her into a family rivalry, lust and revenge?
1. Meeting The Family

**A/N: Ok so bare with me, this is my first completely AU story. Obviously this centers around AJ and Punk and we'll be seeing alot of other wrestlers along with my own crazy OC's. Give it a shot I promise this story will be sexy and exciting! Also I think it goes without saying that I don't own anything.**

**Summary: AJ is starting a new job with one of the richest families in Chicago. There's alot of family secrets and hidden agenda's in the business world but she's more alarmed by how drawn she is to son Punk...**

* * *

**Meeting The Family**

* * *

AJ looked up outside the tall building as people rushed past her. Today was a new start, a new job and as excited as she was to start she couldn't help but mentally kick herself. She had an English and art degree but here she was about to become some rich snubs 'coffee girl'. Unfortunately in today's market she couldn't be picky about work. She had rent to pay and student loans to payback. She got a chill from the brisk Chicago wind and headed inside the revolving doors and walked towards the elevator and pushed 17. She bounced on the heels of her feet feeling so nervous she would throw up. She stepped off and walked over to the receptionists' desk.

"Hello" AJ greeted and the woman looked up at her

"Can I help you?" she asked kindly

"Today is my first day" AJ informed her and she nodded

"And you are?" she asked looking over some files

"AJ Mendez" AJ told her and the woman scrunched up her face

"I don't have an AJ" she frowned "Are you sure you're on the right floor?"

"I'm sorry it's probably under April" AJ corrected and the woman smiled

"There you are" she said then looked up at her "You are Mr. Klein's new PA" she said in awe jumping out of her seat "I'm Maria" she greeted. The woman had long red hair and way too much makeup but she was bubbly and nice.

"Hi and please call me AJ" AJ insisted "No one calls me April"

"Sure, sure" Maria said walking from behind the desk over to her "Just follow me. So how did you get the job if you don't mind me asking?"

"A friend of mine told me they were looking for PA's" AJ shrugged "I put my application in and interviewed last week. How is Mr. Klein?"

"Such a nice man" Maria assured her "I've worked here for two years and I'm treated like part of the family. His wife invites me over every holiday" she grinned "You're very lucky you got Mr. Klein he's very kind."

"Oh good" AJ smiled "I haven't even met him yet."

"Yea his wife does the interviews" Maria smirked

"Oh she didn't mention that" AJ noted with a frown

"She keeps it quiet but this is a family business" Maria said to her "Their older son runs the marketing branch" she informed her and AJ noted hoping she'd remember all of these facts "He's ok" she shrugged "Then there's their daughter she super sweet she works in the legal division"

"What exactly do the Klein's do?" AJ asked feeling slightly embarrassed "Every time I google their name a hundred different things come up"

"They started out in technology but have branched out everywhere" Maria informed her warmly "They even have a few night clubs that's the newest venture and that's run by their other son or I should say adopted son"

"But you're going to be making copies and stuff like that but don't worry Mr. Klein treats everyone he works with very kindly" Maria informed her in her bubbly voice. They reached two large double doors and Maria gave it a cute double knock.

"Come in, Maria" a voice shouted and Maria giggled before opening the doors

"Hi Elliot" Maria greeted and AJ stood timidly next to her

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" he greeted removing his glasses. He wasn't as old as AJ thought he would be. He was in his fifties and was graying but clearly in shape and seemingly healthy.

"This is AJ" she said putting her hand on AJ's shoulder

"Oh my new assistant" Elliot smiled standing up "Thank you Maria"

"No problem, have fun" Maria smiled towards AJ then left the office.

"Mr. Klein" AJ greeted shyly holding out her hand as he walked over to her to greet her.

"Please call me Elliot" he corrected "My father was Mr. Klein" he chuckled

"Whatever you'd like" AJ smiled

"AJ is an interesting name" Elliot noted "What's it short for?"

"April Jeanette" AJ told her

"Which do you prefer to be called?" Elliot questioned

"AJ if you don't mind" AJ admitted and he nodded

"It's very pretty, please have a seat" Elliot said pointing to the chair across from his desk "My wife tells me you just graduated from college"

"Yes" AJ said to him

"So what brings you to Klein Industries?" Elliot asked "My wife selected you because you seem grossly over qualified for a PA position"

"Honestly?" She asked nervously

"Always" he chuckled leaning back against his large leather chair

"Money" she admitted "I have a lot of school loans to payback"

"I respect that" Elliot nodded "I graduated with a degree in film and here I am" he smirked "A wear a suit and sit in an office everyday"

"You must be very good at your job though" AJ grinned

"This was my father's business" Elliot told her "This was his dream. But once he passed and I took over I started branching into different ventures and actually learned to love it. You have to love what you do in order to do it well"

"I agree" AJ said to him

"We have different branches in this company just because you start as a PA doesn't mean you'll always be a PA" Elliot informed her "I can't promise anything in writing but once you get the hang of the company you'll understand what I mean"

"That's very kind but right now my full attention is on doing this job the best I can" AJ told him

"I'll keep it brief" Elliot said to her "Your job is to attend boring meetings with me to keep me awake, come up with excuses and fake phone calls when I'm in meetings I want to be out of and to look up files for me. I won't insult you by sending you for coffee or my lunches because I have two legs and prefer to use them" He said to her and she was immediately at ease. "But before we start this are you sure this is where you want to be?" he questioned

"Yes" AJ said without hesitation

"Wonderful" Elliot smiled "Your desk is set up outside and I'll have Maria drop by to show you how to use the phones and how to use the computers"

"Great thank you" AJ said standing up

"I just have one question" Elliot said stopping her and she turned to look back at him "New Jersey, right?" he asked with a grin

"Yes" AJ smiled back

"What brought you to Chicago?" Elliot asked her

"School" AJ said quickly and he nodded

* * *

Later in the day AJ was getting used to her desk and everything on it.

"All of this technology is crazy" AJ noted to Maria who pulled up a chair and spent the day with AJ.

"Everything is top of the line" Maria smiled "When they changed the phones a few months back it took me two days to learn how to answer it" she giggled "What did you think of Elliot?"

"He's really nice" AJ said to her "Almost too good to be true"

"I thought that too" Maria admitted "But him and his family really are just nice people"

"How did you get hired here?" AJ questioned "You seem more like a model"

"I went to beauty school" Maria told her "But jobs were hard to get it" she shrugged "I knew their kids from high school and Jennifer offered me a job"

"Jennifer is Mrs. Klein right?" AJ asked and Maria nodded

"There's Elliot and Jennifer, their oldest son is Devon and the daughter is Mia" Maria told her "Devon and I used to date" Maria admitted with a smile

"And you don't anymore yet you still work here?" AJ asked amused

"Yea we're over it" Maria shrugged

"You said they have an adopted son?" AJ asked

"Yea Punk" Maria said to her

"Punk?" AJ laughed out loud

"I've known him for years and I still don't know his real name" Maria admitted "The Klein's adopted him when he was six. He was good friends with Devon when they were little"

"So what happened to Punk's family?" AJ asked

"He doesn't talk about it." Maria said quietly "He's kind of moody and broody but he's hot and great in bed" she told AJ casually

"You slept with your boyfriend's bother?" AJ asked in shock

"Yea" Maria admitted "Not my proudest moment but Punk was worth it. Like I said we're all over it now. They're all pretty cool honestly oh and here comes Devon" she said looking up. AJ looked up and saw a young man with slicked back brown hair dressed in a crisp suit making his way towards them.

"I was wondering where you were" Devon smiled leaning over and giving Maria a friendly kiss on the cheek.

"I'm showing AJ the ropes" Maria said nudging AJ in the arm with her own "She's Elliot's new assistant"

"Hi" AJ said with a nervous smile extending her hand to him

"AJ is it?" he asked and she nodded

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Klein" she said professionally

"Oh no" he laughed "Call me Devon" he said to her

"Of course" AJ said professionally

"I didn't know you were coming in today" Maria said looking over AJ's schedule

"Yea Elliot called an hour ago- family meeting" he said with a slight eye-roll

"Oh so we'll be seeing all the Klein's today" Maria grinned fondly

"Yes all the Klein's and Punk" AJ noticed the bitterness in his voice when he said Punk

"It was lovely meeting you AJ" Devon smiled grabbing her hand again

"Stop flirting with my new PA and get in here" Elliot said to Devon who quickly dropped AJ's hand and headed into the office "Don't mind him" he said shooting AJ a wink

"He seemed nice" AJ noted

"He just wants to get laid" Maria smiled at her "Go for it I totally won't mind"

"That's ok" AJ giggled

"He sleeps with everyone" Maria said "It's almost like a game for Punk and Devon on who can get to who first. But usually office workers aren't Punk's thing"

"Hey" a chipper woman smiled walking towards them

"Mia!" Maria cheered jumping out of her seat giving the woman a hug

"Are we still on for drinks later?" Mia asked

"Of course!" Maria grinned "Mia this is AJ-"

"My mom told me about you" Mia said greeting AJ "It's nice to meet you"

"You too" AJ smiled. _Was this entire family just unbelievably nice?_ She asked herself

"My mom said you were an English major?" Mia asked and AJ nodded "Me too! You should come out with us tonight so we can get to know each other"

"Yea every Monday night we go out to celebrate the beginning of the week" Maria said with a laugh "It helps us get over the Monday blues"

"Sure" AJ smiled. She didn't socialize much, but it was her first day and she didn't want to be rude.

"Great I'll see you two later tonight" Mia said to them "Are my brothers here yet?"

"Just Devon" Maria said to her and Mia rolled her eyes and headed into the office

"This family has to be too good to be true" AJ whispered to Maria

"They really are just good people" Maria shrugged casually "Oh here comes Punk" she whispered to AJ who looked up slightly. Everyone she had met was dressed to the nines and seemed very professional. The adopted son Punk was sporting jeans and a comic t-shirt. Most noticeably he was covered in tattoos. AJ could feel herself start to get warm just at the sight with him. His shoulders were practically ripping through his shirt.

"Hi Punk" Maria said with wide doe eyes he shot her a smirk and a wink then walked right into the office not even bothering to introduce himself to AJ.

"He seems lovely" AJ remarked sarcastically.

"I told you he was moody" Maria shrugged "He doesn't do well with strangers"

* * *

AJ arrived home at 5:30 after taking the train home and quickly entered her apartment and searched for something to wear. Maria gave her the address of where to meet her and Mia tonight and it was a club, one she was sure was owned by the Klein family. She was actually excited to learn more about the family and if she happened to bump into a few them such as Punk she wouldn't complain.

"Lame, lame, lame" she said tossing clothes out of her closet.

"Bad first day?" a voice asked

"No it was beyond great" AJ admitted "The man I work for is probably the nicest man on this planet and has the most amazing family. I felt like I was on an episode of the Brady Bunch or something" she said

"So what's with the closet trashing?" Her roommate Celeste questioned

"I got invited out by my boss's daughter and it's a club" AJ said to her and Celeste let out a loud laugh

"Have you ever even been to a club?" Celeste asked

"No" AJ sighed "Stop laughing and help me find something" she whined

"I don't think you'll find anything in there" Celeste noted

"Come on" Celeste nodded for AJ to follow her out of her and into her room. "Try on this" she said reaching into her closet and passing her a black dress.

"A dress?" AJ frowned

"Yes a dress" Celeste laughed "It's probably the only thing I have that you'll even fit in"

"Fine" she said snatching it from her "You think my chucks will go with it?"

"No but I have heels" Celeste said to her

"No way" AJ said shaking her head "I will fall all over my face"

"Fine wear your ugly chucks" Celeste said to her "So tell me more about your first day" she encouraged

"Like I said the family and the other workers are great" AJ said to her "It's seriously too good to be true"

"I've read about them they seem like a good family" Celeste noted "Very charitable actually but if it doesn't work out you can always work at the gym with me"

"That's ok" AJ said to her with a laugh "You're a fitness trainer I am not even close"

"You're in great shape and have killer abs" Celeste pointed out "Speaking of are you still going running with me tomorrow morning?"

"Yea, yea" AJ sighed "Why did I agree to do this again?"

"Because you are supporting me training in the marathon" Celeste smirked "Hurry and get dressed and I'll do your hair and makeup"

* * *

AJ arrived at the club and was surprised on a Monday night that there was line waiting to get in. Maria had instructed her to go right to the door and give her name but AJ still felt funny doing that. She nervously walked over to the bouncer who was letting people in and the man with dirty blond hair side glanced her.

"Sorry sweetheart this club is 21 and over" the man said to her and AJ rolled her eyes

"I'm 24" AJ shot at him and he let out a laugh

"Ok" the man chuckled as he waved in a few more people "You still have to wait on line also no sneakers" he said looking at her chucks

"You're wearing sneakers" AJ challenged

"I suppose I am" the man laughed "Still doesn't change the fact you have to wait online just like everyone else"

"I'm meeting Mia Klein here" AJ informed him and he now looked serious

"Name?" he asked looking at his clipboard

"AJ" she said and he nodded

"Look at that you're on the list" he smirked "I've never seen you around before you're friends with Mia?"

"I'm working with her father" AJ told her and he nodded

"Ahh I gotcha" he said waving her in "I'm Dean" he said shaking her hand "Also if Punk asks I didn't see your shoes"

"Right" AJ scoffed

"Go right up to that guy by the steps" he said pointing to a large man standing in front of a staircase "Tell him you're with Mia and give him your name"

"Ok" AJ said nervously and walked in.

"Hey AJ!" Maria said catching her arm before she reached the other bouncer "She's with us" she said to the man

"Go right on up" the man smiled

"This is Langston by the way" Maria introduced AJ who smiled and headed up the stairs. "Cute shoes" Maria smiled

"The guy at the door almost didn't let me in" AJ said taking a seat on the red velvet couch with Maria

"Dean is just a hard ass" Mia said to her

"You would know all about that" Maria giggled sipping on some sort of a girly drink

"You and the bouncer?" AJ asked surprised

"Don't say anything" Mia warned "Punk would fire him on the spot"

"He would kill him first" Maria added seriously "He's very protective over our little Mia" she teased pinching Mia's cheek

"He's been best friends with Dean since childhood" Mia told AJ who nodded "Trust me Dean is a good guy but Punk…."

"Doesn't think anyone is good enough for his baby sister" Maria added

"I won't say a word" AJ promised

"Don't worry he won't give you a hard time about letting you in again" Mia assured her

"I didn't realize there was a dress code" AJ admitted shyly

"It's stupid" Mia snorted "Punk hates it too but it's what sells I guess"

"It's a nice club" AJ said glancing around. The place was packed but this wasn't her scene at all.

"Punk does a great job" Maria agreed

"So AJ tell me how was your first day?" Mia asked her

"It was great" AJ told her

"You don't have to lie because I'm the bosses daughter" Mia teased

"Seriously it was better than I could have hoped" AJ told her

"I think you're going to fit in great" Maria said to her

"So AJ tell me you're a writer, why aren't you at a news paper?" Mia asked bluntly

"Um people don't really read papers anymore" AJ smirked and Mia seemed to like that response "Besides I'm not that kind of writer I like to write stories"

"Oh that's so cool" Maria said honestly

"That is pretty cool" Mia agreed

"And with the hours at your dad's office I have plenty of time to write as well" AJ said to them

"We have a lot of connections to the publishing world" Mia said to her "If you're as good as I think you are we can totally help you out"

"That would be great" AJ said to them

"Ladies" Punk said walking over to them. AJ couldn't help but blush slightly upon seeing Punk standing over them. He was dressed the same as he was in the office earlier clearly he didn't follow his own dress codes.

"Punk have you met AJ?" Mia asked her brother who looked over to the petite girl.

"No" Punk said extending his tatted up hand to her "New friend?" he asked his sister

"This is dad's new PA" Mia said to him "Didn't you see her earlier?"

"No" Punk smirked "Sorry" He said to AJ

"It's fine" AJ said with a wave of her hand

"Nice shoes" he said looking at her chucks amused

"Sorry I didn't know there was dress code" AJ admitted nervously

"All I said is that they were nice" Punk smirked

"So why have you left your office this evening?" Mia asked curiously

"I run this crap hole" Punk reminded her "I have to mingle"

"You'd rather be at the gym" Maria said to him

"And I will be soon" Punk said to her "Still have to pay the rent for now"

"Still you stay locked up in your office every night" Mia noted

"I have an xbox in there" Punk defended "I did want to come over and remind you not to over drink" he said to his sister who rolled her eyes

"Oh crap!" Mia shouted "AJ what are you drinking?"

"I'm not" AJ said with a soft smile "I don't drink" Punk looked over to her and Maria caught the look and smiled as she sipped on her drink

"Really?" Mia frowned "You're as fun as Punk" she retorted

"I think you mean as smart as Punk" Punk corrected with a smirk "Can I get you a soda or something?" he asked AJ

"Water is fine" AJ said to him and he nodded. He leaned over to a waiter passing by who quickly nodded and took off.

"I passed Amy on my way in by the way" Mia said to her brother

"And?" Punk asked coolly

"Just wondering what she was doing here" Mia shrugged innocently

"She likes the music" Punk shrugged

"She likes the owner" Maria corrected with a laugh

"You've already had too much to drink" Punk scolded taking the drink at Maria's hand

"That's fine we'll just go across town to Tonic" Mia said to Maria who nodded

"You know I wouldn't let that happen" Punk smiled sweetly towards his sister

"What's Tonic?" AJ asked

"A rival club" Mia smirked

"A crappy dangerous club" Punk corrected "No bouncers, no age limit apparently"

"Punk just hates the owner" Maria said to AJ

"Enough" Punk said cutting her off "Try to stay out of trouble tonight" he said to the girls "If you need anything I'll be in my office"

* * *

As the night went on AJ learned a lot about the Klein's and also learned she enjoyed the company of Maria and Mia. They were both very friendly and outgoing and normally not AJ's type of people she enjoyed hanging out with them. Maria had gone down to the dance floor and AJ and Mia were watching from there spot.

"Is that how people dance today?" AJ asked Mia horrified

"That's how Maria dances" Mia laughed but then looked off to the side. AJ turned to see what she was looking at and caught Dean passing by. "Will you be ok?" she questioned standing up and grabbing her purse "I have to go powder my nose" she lied

"Sure" AJ smiled warmly and watched as Mia practically skipped off after Dean.

"Relax I'm here to just talk to him" a male voice said as he climbed the steps. Langston was following behind

"He doesn't want to see you" Langston warned

"Trust me he'll want to see him" the two toned haired man assured the large bouncer. "Go ask him" he said gesturing to Punk's office that was a few feet away.

"I will and you stay right here" Langston warned "Or I swear to god I'll bust your ass" he threatened.

"Yikes" the man laughed looking towards AJ. AJ just smiled then turned to look back down towards the dance floor.

"I've never seen you around here before" the man said walking over to her

"My first time here" AJ said to him and he nodded

"And you're already VIP" he whistled "You know there's a great club across town" he said to her

"I'm not much of a club person" AJ said to him

"No kidding" He said eyeing her small frame and was obviously not impressed

"Are you always this insulting to women you meet?" AJ asked the man who seemed surprised by her comeback

"You don't look much like a woman" He chuckled "More like a little girl. So which Klein are you with? I'm going to guess Devon" he said snapping his fingers

"I'm with Mia" AJ said to him and his eyes widened fondly

"I always knew Mia wouldn't be able to be with another man after me" He teased

"You know Mia?" AJ asked him

"I was engaged to Mia" he corrected "I'm surprised she hasn't mentioned, I'm Seth" he introduced

"No you've never come up actually" AJ said to him "And if you're here looking for her she's occupied"

"No I'm here to see the owner" Seth said to her "So are you a friend of Mia's or something?"

"Or something" AJ shrugged not wanting to talk to the man any longer.

"I didn't catch your name" Seth smiled towards her

"She didn't give you her name" Punk said from behind Seth causing him to turn around "You have two minutes to get out of my club before I toss you out of it"

"I'm here about Tonic I really think-" Seth started

"Langston throw his ass out" Punk ordered "And then find Dean ask him why he let this asshole in to begin with"

"Relax I'll see my self out" Seth defended "And as for you if you want to go to a real club here's my card" he said passing AJ his card

"Out" Langston warned pushing Seth towards the stairs.

"Where's Mia?" Punk asked AJ

"She went to the restroom" AJ lied

"Good" Punk mumbled then turned around to head to his office.

"Look I've got to get out of here" She said causing Punk to turn around. He watched as she fished into her wallet and placed some cash on it even though she had only had water. "Could you let Mia and Maria know?" Punk walked over to the table and picked up AJ's money and handed it to her

"When you're here you're covered by me" Punk said to her

"At least as a tip" AJ said to him

"I take care of my people" Punk assured her "And I'll let them know you had to leave. Do you need someone to take you home?"

"No" she laughed lightly "I don't live far" she said slipping on her jacket.

"Alright have a good night" he said to her but before she walked down the steps he stopped her "I really do dig your chucks" He smirked then walked into his office.

* * *

**Thoughts?**


	2. Dates and Questions

**Dates and Questions**

* * *

AJ was at work by nine the next morning and already going over the notes Elliot had left for her. She was sipping on coffee as Maria made her way over to her. She was wearing dark glasses and had a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Long night?" AJ teased

"Something like that" Maria sighed

"Sorry I took off last night" AJ said to her

"No problem" Maria said to her "I went home with the guy I was dancing with anyway" she grinned

"Which one?" AJ asked unsurely. Maria was dancing with a lot of guys that night.

"I really can't remember" Maria sighed with a smile "Whoever it was I enjoyed myself. Did you have fun?"

"Yea it was great" AJ said to her

"Good! You can come next Monday with us" Maria said to her

"I don't know" AJ said to her shaking her head

"Mia and I promise not ditch you again" Maria swore

"It wasn't that" AJ assured her "I'm not much of a club person" she reminded her "So what's up with that Seth guy?"

"Seth was there?" Maria asked surprised

"Yea he was with Mia?" AJ asked

"Engaged" Maria whispered "Two weeks before the wedding Mia found out he was cheating on her."

"That's horrible" AJ frowned "Poor Mia"

"She was devastated" Maria said quietly "And Seth got his ass kicked by Punk and Devon- the only time those two get along is where Mia is concerned"

"That's sweet" AJ said to her

"We spent so much time talking about us we didn't even ask about you" Maria said giving it thought "Do you have any siblings?"

"No" AJ said shaking her head "Just me. Look I really have to get these documents into the computer-"

"Say no more I'm off to my desk" Maria said to her "See you later AJ" she waved then walked off.

A few hours later AJ was still typing away at her desk when she felt someone watching her. She looked up and was surprised and also slightly flustered to see Punk standing over her.

"Hi" AJ said quieter then she wanted. He could tell she was nervous and just smirked. "Are you here to see your father?"

"I'm actually here to see you" He said in a low whisper. April's eyes widened and opened her mouth to speak but couldn't say anything. He clearly loved the affect he was having on her. "You left this at the club" he said reaching into his pocket and pulling out her wallet.

"Oh crap" she muttered taking it from him "I thought I left it at home today. Thanks" she said taking the video game wallet from him.

"No problem" Punk said to her "So do you like video games or is the wallet just a fashion statement?"

"What kind of fashion statement would I be making?" AJ asked amused "I happen to like video games"

"Cool" Punk said with a fond nod "So is the old man treating you ok?" he asked her

"Oh he's a monster to work for" AJ remarked sarcastically causing Punk to laugh lightly

"Yea he's pretty cool" Punk agreed "So what's your deal?" he asked bluntly and she looked a bit surprised

"I'm sorry?" she asked unsurely

"Why are you here?" Punk asked her "You seem pretty smart and you don't seem like the office type so why are you here working for Klein?"

"I needed a job" AJ said almost defensively "Not everyone has endless amounts of money" she added

"Ouch" Punk chuckled "Ok I get it you're defensive"

"And you're abrasive" April shot back

"Punk glad you're here" Elliot said walking out of his office. "I need to talk to you about Mia's birthday" he said to him

"Sure" Punk said keeping his eyes locked on AJ then looked over to his adoptive father.

"Unless I'm interrupting?" Elliot asked him

"No not at all" Punk said walking over to him

"AJ, please take your lunch before you work yourself in the ground" Elliot said to her "I gave a weeks worth of filling and you're already almost done"

"I just have a few things to finish" AJ said to him

A half-hour later AJ grabbed her bag and was headed to lunch.

"Can I walk you to the elevator?" Punk offered leaving Elliot's office

"You don't have to" AJ said to him

"I didn't mean to snap at you" Punk said to her

"It's ok" AJ shrugged

"Let me take you to lunch" Punk offered "It's the least I could do"

"You asked some questions it's not a big deal" AJ said as they walked to the elevator

"Are you really saying no to the boss's son?" Punk asked with a laugh

"Do you use your father to get all of your dates?" AJ shot back with a sarcastic smile

"I never usually have to" Punk smirked pushing the down button and they both waited "So lunch?"

"I have a feeling I don't have much of a choice" AJ said looking over to him

"Everyone has a choice April" Punk said to her

"Why did you call me that?" AJ asked him

"Isn't that your name?" he asked amused

"It's AJ" she said stepping on the elevator "And if you promise to never call me by it again I'll have lunch with you"

"Deal" He said stepping on after her

"Also I'm paying" she said to him "As a thank you for returning my wallet" Punk didn't respond but just let out a loud laugh.

* * *

AJ was sitting across from Punk in the pizzeria across the street from Klein Industries. They babbled about video games and comics for a while before Punk started to get more curious about her.

"So tell me AJ what brings you to Chicago?" Punk asked

"What makes you think I was born here?" she asked arching a brow but he just shot her an un-amused look. "My best friend moved out here for school and I joined her" she said to him

"Where are you from?" he asked

"Jersey" she said taking a bite out of her pizza.

"You live alone out here?" Punk asked her

"No I live with my friend Celeste" AJ said to her "What's with twenty questions? I can assure you that I'm not that interesting"

"I find that hard to believe" Punk responded honestly

"What about you?" AJ asked

"My entire life story is available online" Punk smirked "I'm sure a smart girl like you did your homework before starting work"

"I don't believe what I read online" AJ said to him

"Smarter than I thought" Punk said and AJ narrowed her eyes "I didn't mean that as an insult"

"Right" AJ said to him wiping her mouth with her napkin

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked her bluntly

"Maybe" She said to him causing Punk to let out yet another small laugh

"You're a very difficult person to talk to" he informed her and she just shrugged "I want to take you out to dinner" he told her

"What if I have a boyfriend?" she asked

"Doesn't change the fact that I plan on taking you out to dinner Thursday night" Punk said to her almost smugly

"You're full of yourself huh?" AJ asked

"Confidence is sexy" was Punk's only defense

"You seem like a great guy" she started then eyed his smug vibe "Actually you seem a bit like a jerk" she said honestly and he actually enjoyed her honesty "But I don't want to jeopardize my job with your father"

"You won't be" Punk said to her simply "I'm sure Maria gave you the rundown"

"Yes a woman who both you and your brother with" AJ said to him "I'm not like Maria" she said to him

"I know that's what I like about you" Punk told her honestly "It's just dinner" he said to her

"I need to get back to work" she said standing up and he followed her

"I'll pick you up at seven on Thursday" Punk said walking her across the street

"I didn't say I'd go" AJ reminded him

"Don't wear anything fancy" Punk said as if he hadn't heard a word she said "You don't seem like a five star restaurant type of girl"

"Wow" AJ laughed

"Again not an insult" Punk added as he followed her into the office building

"Whatever Punk" she said slightly annoyed

"It's just dinner" Punk said leaning against the elevator and looking a her. He gave the most pathetic face she had ever seen.

"Fine" she said giving in and he smiled "Where should I meet you?"

"Like I said I'll pick you up at seven" He said as he stepped onto the elevator with her

"Do you need my address?" she questioned

"No" he said to her

"You have my address?" she asked

"I saw your ID when you left your wallet at the club" he shrugged

"And you memorized my address?" she asked as they stepped off onto the 17th floor together.

"It's an easy address and you're right it's right by the club" Punk said to her

"Oh Punk you don't-" Maria started from her seat but he just ignored her and kept up with AJ's fast pace.

"Are you going to sit at my desk too?" AJ asked him

"I'm just being a gentleman" Punk defended. When AJ arrived at her desk Seth Rollins had just walked out of Elliot's office.

"Hey Punk" Seth grinned. Punk's eyes went dark and his playful mood was gone upon seeing the man that crushed his little sister.

"What are you doing here?" Punk demanded

"I needed to make an offer on SXS" Seth shrugged referring Punk's club "You wouldn't even hear me out"

"And I'm sure Elliot didn't either" Punk shot at him

"He at least let me get a sentence out" Seth said to him he then looked over to AJ "I know you" he said looking at her "I thought you were a friend of Mia's?"

"Don't mention her name" Punk warned in a low voice

"Relax" Seth said to him

"Seth" Elliot said stepping outside of his office "Time to go"

"Right, of course" Seth said kindly "See you around Mr. Klein, Punk and weird girl" he said to AJ who narrowed her eyes at the man from the insult.

"Punk come inside" Elliot said knowing Punk would follow Seth out.

When Punk walked into Elliot's office he was dying to know why Elliot saw him.

"Why?" Punk asked "Why do you let that little prick in here after everything?"

"I'll never forgive him for what he did to Mia or you" Elliot said to him

"It wasn't about me" Punk said to him

"It was" Elliot reminded him in a fatherly tone "But this is business and sometimes we have to put our personal feelings aside for the sake of business"

"And is that what you're doing?" Punk asked "Doing business with that slimy mother fucker?"

"Of course not" Elliot chuckled "He is not his father and all of the schooling in the world couldn't help him. Relax" he said placing a hand on Punk's shoulder

"He showed up at the club last night" Punk said annoyed

"Yes and you had him thrown out I heard all about it" Elliot grinned "The club is yours" he promised Punk "I know you don't love it but you run it well."

"Mia was there" Punk said to him "What if she saw him?"

"She didn't" Elliot reminded him "Keep a cool head"

"I'm trying" Punk said to him

"Did you take my new PA to lunch?" Elliot asked him

"Maybe" Punk shrugged

"I like this one" Elliot said to him "I don't want you and Devon scaring her off" he warned

"I'm not interested in scaring her off" Punk said to him

"Jennifer hired her because she reminded her of you" Elliot admitted

"Oh please" Punk chuckled

"She's smart, edgy, honest, defensive" Elliot pointed out "Who does that sound like?"

"Half of Chicago" Punk responded

"What do you think of her?" Elliot asked him honestly "She was out with Mia last night right?"

"She seems good" Punk said to her "Doesn't drink, doesn't like to party, likes to work" he shrugged

"Yea I get a good feeling from her too" Elliot agreed "So again don't scare her off"

"Wouldn't dream of it" Punk retorted

* * *

When Thursday rolled around Punk had picked AJ up promptly at 7 and she was sporting a tight pair of jeans, a black anime t-shirt and very little makeup.

"So this is where you decided to take me to dinner?" AJ asked amused as they took their seats in the front row at the Blackhawks game.

"Yea we eat during intermission" Punk said to her "You ever been to a hockey game before?" he asked looking over to her

"No" AJ said to him "I'm not into sports"

"You'll love hockey" Punk assured her

"I doubt that" AJ laughed

"Seriously you'll like it" Punk said to her

"I won't understand it" AJ said to him

"I'll talk you through it" Punk promised

"You got really get seats" She said to him

"I have season tickets- these are my seats" Punk remarked "Every year for the last ten years actually these have been my seats"

"Aren't you special?" she teased

"You'll figure that out soon enough" Punk smirked

AJ was surprised by how much she enjoyed the game. Punk sat close enough so he could whisper into her ear what was happening and she couldn't lie- she loved when he did. She felt so comfortable with him and the date- if that's what this was- was actually fun. He got her a hotdog during intermission and it was probably the most easygoing date she had ever been on.

"I need to stop the club" Punk said looking down at his phone as they walked to his car. "Do you want me to drop you off at home first?"

"No it's ok I don't mind" she said as Punk walked over to the passenger side door and opened it for her like a true gentleman.

"Did you have fun?" Punk asked looking over to her

"I surprisingly did" AJ admitted to him

"Told you" Punk grinned

"It wasn't so much the game" AJ said shyly looking over to him

"I wasn't referring to the sport either" he teased

"Do you like running a club?" AJ asked out of know where

"Sometimes" Punk said to her "It's not my scene but I do it"

"Why do you do it if you don't like it?" she asked him

"It's the family business" he said simply "I could have a worse job" he pointed out. "Why are you a PA when you went to school to be a writer?" he challenged

"I already told you" AJ reminded him "Besides I still write"

"What do you write?" Punk asked "Poetry?"

"No" she almost laughed "I'm not that deep"

"I think you are" Punk said keeping his eyes on the road

"I write stories" she confided

"Like novels?" he asked

"Sort of" she shrugged

"You know Elliot has connections to the publishing world?" Punk asked

"Mia told me that yes" AJ said to him "I'm not interested in publishing anything. Enough about me" she said quickly and he let out a loud

"I fell like you know my entire life story" Punk said glancing over to her with a smile "I know nothing about you"

"You know I write and grew up in Jersey" AJ said to him

"Where are you parents?" Punk asked her

"Where are yours?" she asked right back but immediately regretted it

"My mom was killed by a drunk driver and my dad took off" Punk said to her

"It's not my business and it was rude of me to ask" she said quickly

"I asked the same question" He reminded her "Elliot and Jennifer took me in right after all of that they're my parents"

"They seem like good parents" AJ noted

"They are remarkable" Punk agreed "They took me in when I had no where else to go and they didn't have to. They treat me the same way they do Mia and Devon"

"I've noticed" AJ said to him "You're very lucky"

"What about you?" Punk asked keeping his eyes on the road again

"I never knew my dad" AJ admitted "Any my mom passed away too"

"I'm sorry" Punk said quietly

"It was a long time ago" AJ said to him

"If you don't mind me asking what happened to your mom?" Punk asked "You don't have to tell me-"

"She killed herself" AJ admitted and Punk felt his heart sink

"Forget I asked" Punk felt uncomfortable now and he didn't want that hanging over this night. "It's not my place"

"It's nothing I'm ashamed of" AJ said to him "Besides like I said it was a long time ago"

"No siblings, no parents…who did you grow up with?" Punk asked curiously. He knew he shouldn't have but he was curious now.

"Different people" AJ said to him "Different foster homes. That's where I met Celeste."

"Your roommate?" Punk asked and she nodded "I can see why you moved to Chicago with her"

"She the only family I have" AJ told him

"Family isn't about blood" Punk said looking over to her

"No it's not" She agreed with a soft smile.

* * *

Once they arrived at the club AJ could tell it was packed. It was busier than Monday night and she figured it out why- it was ladies night. Cheap drinks for all women on Thursday nights. Punk grabbed her hand as he moved through the crowd so he wouldn't lose her. He led her up the steps and towards his office door.

"Hey sorry to bother you" Dean said to him. Clearly on Punk's off nights Dean wasn't the bouncer but the one in charge.

"What's so important that you couldn't tell me over the phone?" she heard Punk asked. Dean looked over to AJ but then leaned into Punk's ear. She saw him nod then looked towards AJ.

"AJ just give me a few minutes" Punk said to her and she nodded "Hang out with Dean" he said slapping Dean's shoulder then walking into his office.

"Converse girl" Dean smiled "I didn't realize you were dating the boss"

"I'm not dating Punk" AJ said to him and Dean just narrowed his eyes at her

"Where were you two earlier?" Dean asked

"A Blackhawks game" She said to him

"Alone?" Dean asked

"Yes" she answered

"So you two are dating?" Dean asked quickly and AJ rolled her eyes

"What's going on in there?" AJ asked nodding towards Punk's office

"Nothing for you to worry about" Dean said to her. Punk walked out of the office and right over to Dean.

"Get her a ride home and make sure she stays there" Punk instructed and Dean nodded and walked straight into the office

"Everything ok?" AJ asked him

"Yea" he said coolly "Come on, I'll take you home" he said placing his hand on her lower back gently and guiding her down the stairs.

* * *

The entire ride home AJ couldn't help but wonder what happened in that office and who the mystery 'she' was. But she didn't want to question Punk she didn't have a right to. IT was one thing to be curious about his childhood and upbringing it was another to start questioning what he did in his business or his private office for that matter. It was one date and for all she knew Punk wasn't interested in a second one.

Keeping up with his true gentlemen repertoire he walked her to her front down.

"Thank you for tonight" AJ said to him "I had a nice time"

"So did I" Punk said leaning against the railing of the outside steps. "Are you going to be at the club Monday with Mia and Maria?"

"I don't know" AJ said to him "I told Maria clubs aren't my thing"

"They aren't mine either" Punk said to her "But I've got some game systems in my office if you're interested"

"That does interest me" she said seriously and he couldn't help but smile. He had never been nervous like this before on a first date- was it even a date? She reached for her keys and began to put the key in the lock when Punk placed his hand over hers. She looked over to him but didn't realize he was so close to her and he placed his lips over hers.

The kiss was soft and she felt his tongue swipe her bottom lip, asking permission to deepen it and she responded in kind. Before she knew it she dropped her keys to the floor and moved her hands to the back of his neck and head urging him into the kiss. She felt him push her up against her front door while one of his hands moved to her hips and the other to the back of her neck in an attempt to control the kiss. Just as Punk pressed his warm body into hers causing her to lose almost all of her senses AJ felt the door open behind her almost causing her to fall but Punk caught her in his arms.

"Woops sorry" a man smirked "Guess I kind of killed the moment?" he asked awkwardly

"It's fine" AJ said forcing a smile. Punk eyed the man as if he was going to pounce on him so AJ decided to introduce them. "Punk this is Celeste's boyfriend Randy"

"Nice to meet ya" Randy said extending his hand and Punk reluctantly accepted "See you later kid" he said ruffling AJ's hair then skipped down the steps leaving the two alone. Punk watched as he walked towards his car and got in.

"What's wrong?" AJ asked Punk

"Nothing" Punk said waiting for Randy to take off.

"I should go" AJ said as Punk reached down and picked up her keys for her.

"I'll see you Monday?" Punk asked hopefully

"Maybe" she said coyly and kissed his cheek. "Good night Punk"

"Night" he said with a goofy smile as she walked into her place and he heard her lock the doors behind her.


	3. Magic Moment

**Magic Moment**

* * *

AJ was back at work Monday morning and hadn't heard from Punk the entire weekend. She didn't think she would mostly because he never said he would but it would have been nice. She was sitting behind her desk when Maria greeted her.

"Hey girl" Maria grinned taking a seat on the edge of her desk "You look hot!" she noted AJ's black dress and tight black jacket over it. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't hoping on bumping into Punk around the office today.

"Oh thanks" AJ said shyly

"So are you coming tonight?" Maria asked

"Yea I think I am" AJ said to her

"Great I'll let Mia know" Maria said "So I heard you went to a game with Punk"

"That's true" AJ said to her "I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable-"

"-oh girl don't worry about it. As far as Punk goes I've been there and done that" Maria giggled. She didn't mean anything by it, but the comment bothered AJ. "He's a fun guy"

"He's more like a mystery" AJ confided

"Yea he's got a tough shell to crack. I never could" Maria shrugged "If you want my advice enjoy it while you can"

"What's that supposed to mean?" AJ asked skeptically

"It means Punk doesn't do relationships" Maria informed her "He has flings"

"Oh" AJ said quietly. She wasn't sure what she wanted from Punk but could she really just do a fling?

"He likes women" Maria said simply "But trust me one night with him is worth it he's just so…domineering" she said happily clearly flashing back to their time together "He touched me in places I didn't even know I had"

"Lovely" AJ forced out with a smile

"Trust me it is worth it" she said very seriously "Anyway I'll see you tonight and don't worry wear whatever shoes you want Dean has already promised to let you in" she teased

"Thanks" AJ mumbled. Maybe going tonight wasn't such a good idea.

Later in the day AJ sat in on a board meeting with Elliot and both Punk and Devon were there. Punk and Elliot for that matter couldn't have look less interested while Devon seemed very alert and inquisitive. Punk hadn't greeted AJ or even looked in her direction once. She just took notes as Elliot instructed her to do and tried to seem interested in what was happening in the meeting. Shortly after the meeting Elliot walked over to speak to one of his investors and Punk was across the room talking to other people, leaving AJ to hang around in the corner by herself.

"Hey" Devon smiled walking over to her

"Hi Mr. Klein" AJ smiled

"Didn't we discuss this?" He asked amused

"Right sorry" She said to him "How are you?"

"Good" He said placing his hands in his pockets "So how did you enjoy your first board meeting?"

"It was everything I dreamt it would be" she teased and he laughed a little too loudly at the comment.

"So I heard you were at the Blackhawks game Thursday" Devon noted

"Word travels fast" AJ remarked

"It really does" Devon grinned "I just want to give you a warning about Punk mostly because you seem like a nice sweet girl" he said eyeing her with sympathy "He really isn't a great guy"

"Excuse me?" AJ asked surprised

"Don't get me wrong I love him like he's my own brother but he has issues" Devon warned in a low voice "He's a loner and he doesn't hang around"

"We just went to a hockey game" AJ smiled "We're not even dating"

"Oh I know that" Devon chuckled "I don't think Punk has ever had a girlfriend. I've lived with him since he was six and he has never bough a girl over for Sunday dinner"

"Like I said we're just friends" AJ said sweetly

"He's into things" Devon warned in a low voice

"What do you mean?" AJ asked surprised "Like drugs?"

"Oh god no" Devon said "I can say a lot my dear brother but drugs isn't his problem he'd never touch the stuff- I mean when it comes to relationships."

"Well thank you for the warning" AJ forced out politely "But again we're just friends"

"I hope so" Devon said to her "I'd hate to see him upset you" he said running his finger tips down her cheek.

"AJ we're good to go" Elliot called out "And stop flirting with my PA" he warned his son who just chuckled

"By Devon" AJ waved. She looked over and saw Punk had his eyes on her finally but it was too late, she followed Elliot out of the office.

* * *

"So why aren't you going tonight?" Celeste asked from her spot on the couch

"I told you he didn't even acknowledge I existed today" AJ said to her

"He asked you to go tonight" Celeste reminded her

"Two people warned me about him today" AJ said to her

"And you just believed it?" Celeste asked with a laugh "You clearly like the guy you haven't shut up about him all weekend just go and find out for yourself"

"Are you talking about the guy you were kissing the other night?" Randy asked who was sitting next to Celeste

"Yea" AJ said to him

"I know him" Randy said throwing some popcorn into his mouth as he kept his eyes on the TV "He goes to the same gym as me or he owns it…one or the other" he shrugged "He's there all of the time"

"Oh he didn't mention that" AJ said to him

"Is he a weirdo?" Celeste asked her boyfriend

"I don't talk to the guy he has his own private rooms where he trains and stuff" Randy said to her "He doesn't really talk to anyone but his own buddies"

"You should go" Celeste insisted

"It's already nine and I told Mia and Maria I couldn't make it" AJ shrugged

"Great we can have that threesome I've been asking for" Randy said causing Celeste to slap him in the chest "Ow" he laughed rubbing over the spot

"Do you want to watch a movie with us?" Celeste offered

"No that's ok I don't feel like third wheeling tonight" AJ smirked

"Your loss" Celeste shrugged. When there was a knock at the door AJ looked over to Celeste who just shrugged. She walked over and peeked to see Punk standing on the other side.

"Punk" She said surprised trying to hide her huge smile. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you were feeling" Punk said simply "You told Mia you weren't feeling tonight"

"Yea I'm ok" AJ said to her

"You seemed fine at the meeting earlier too" Punk pointed out "So are you trying to avoid me for any particular reason or do I have Devon to thank for that? I saw him talking your ear off earlier"

"He was just saying hello" AJ said hugging herself to keep warm from the chilly night

"So why didn't you come tonight?" he asked her

"I didn't think you'd want to see me" she said to him "I'm not like some crazy possessive girl but you didn't call, you didn't even say hello to me today at the meeting"

"Do you understand the business that Elliot is in?" Punk asked her

"It seems pretty cut and dry" She shrugged

"Elliot is the most successful men in the world. His children, me included were just handed things" he informed her "People hate Elliot and his family a lot of people are disgruntled employees, rival companies, interested investors- everything is fair game in this world. People will do anything for a dime" he told her very seriously "Mia got caught up in that with Seth" he told her honestly "I don't want that to happen to you. If people see I'm close to you it will rub them the wrong way that's all"

"Oh" She said quietly, not really sure what to make of all of that.

"I like you" Punk confided "I wanted you there tonight- I still want you there"

"I'm not dressed-" AJ started

"It's ok I know the owner he'll let you in" Punk teased with a wink.

"I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt" AJ pointed out

"And you wear it very well" Punk said eyeing her flirtatiously "Grab your bag and I'll drive you over" he really wasn't asking her to join him he was informing her that he was taking her there.

"Ok but I at least have to run a brush through my hair" AJ said to him "You want to come inside for a few minutes?"

"Yea" He said then followed her inside. He looked over and saw Randy and again AJ noted the look in his eyes.

"You met Randy the other night but this is Celeste-" AJ started as Celeste jumped off the couch and shook his hand

"I'm Celeste the best friend/roommate" she said happily "AJ didn't mention how attractive you were"

"I'm sitting right here" Randy reminded her

"Sorry" she said blushing slightly

"It's nice to meet you" Punk smiled towards Celeste but choose to ignore Randy.

"I'm ready" AJ said with her bag in her hand

"Nice meeting you" he said again to Celeste then opened the door for AJ to leave.

* * *

At the club AJ sat and chatted with Mia and Maria for a bit while Punk spoke to a few of the workers.

"When did converse girl get here?" Dean asked entering Punk's office

"I went to pick her up" Punk said looking over some paperwork

"What's up with that?" Dean questioned

"What do you mean?" Punk asked looking up at him

"She doesn't seem like your cup of tea" Dean teased taking a seat across from Punk's desk

"I like her" Punk said casually

"Clearly. You cancelled on me for the Hawks game Thursday and took her" Dean pointed out

"Jealous?" Punk asked amused

"Interested" He shrugged "How old is she?"

"24" Punk answered

"She seems more like Prince Devon's type" Dean shrugged

"She's not" Punk said putting the paperwork in his desk

"So how is she?" Dean questioned

"I wouldn't know" Punk admitted and Dean laughed

"You didn't fuck her yet?" Dean asked with a laugh

"No" Punk said coolly

"Is she a virgin?" Dean asked

"What's with all of the questions?" Punk asked with a laugh "She's a cool chick I like hanging around her- why do you care?"

"I don't want to see you get hurt that's all" Dean said to him

"She couldn't hurt a fly" Punk smirked

"Look at her" Dean said glancing out the window of the office, which was across from the VIP area where Mia, Maria and AJ were sitting. "Girls like her are the most dangerous."

"Maybe that's what I like most about her" Punk said with a sly smile.

"So Langston doesn't have shot?" Dean asked "He was asking about her-"

"No" Punk said coldly "She's off limits to everyone"

"Everyone but you?" Dean asked

"We'll see about that" Punk said to him "Has Seth been around by the way?"

"No" Dean said seriously "But trust me I'm looking" he assured him "I wish I could get my hands on that son of a bitch"

"Well if you were at the door last Monday like you were supposed to be you would have" Punk noted. "I don't want him near my sister" he warned his best friend and he nodded "I mean it. He's been sniffing around here making offers to buy me out I don't want him here in general but especially when Mia is here"

"Got it" Dean said with a nod. "Oh and we got Amy home Thursday night"

"Good" Punk said to him

"But she didn't say there" Dean added and Punk groaned "She went right off to Tonic"

"Wonderful" Punk bit out "Didn't I tell you to make sure she stayed there?"

"She's a big girl man" Dean defended "She didn't want to stay in. She threatened to cut herself with a razor blade if Reigns didn't let her leave. I don't get why you still worry about her she's a lost cause"

"I'd like to think she isn't" Punk said to her

"You know what? Forget everything I've said about converse girl not being your type- she's the type of girl you need in your life" Dean said to him "The polar opposite of Amy"

"Amy has a had a rough go" Punk defended

"She did it to herself" Dean reminded him "You had a rough go and you don't act like that"

"Enough about her" Punk said standing up "Can I trust you with my club?"

"Yea no problem- where are you going?" Dean asked

"None of your business" Punk said grabbing his hoodie and zipping it up "Can I trust you to keep an eye on my sister and Maria?"

"Yea absolutely" Dean said seriously and stood up as well

"Don't let anyone get touchy with them" Punk warned him "And don't let Mia over drink watch her" he warned

"Of course" Dean forced out

"Not too closely though" he said in a serious voice and Dean just nodded hoping Punk would stop talking about Mia. It was horrible to lie to him but he couldn't help it.

"Hey ladies" Punk said walking over to them

"There he is" Maria giggled

"It's not even ten and you're already trashed" Punk frowned at his friend

"Where are you going? AJ just got here?" Mia questioned

"I'm taking AJ with me" Punk said grabbing AJ's hand and helping her to her feet.

"Where are we going?" she asked

"Trust me?" Punk asked

"Yes" She said quietly and he smiled lightly

"When you're ready to go let Dean know he'll have Roman take you home" He said giving his sister a kiss on the cheek

"Good night have fun" Mia waved

* * *

AJ got into Punk's car without asking where they were going again because for some strange reason she really did trust him. He pulled up outside a large building which had a tattoo parlor attached to it.

"What are we doing here?" AJ asked him

"I live here" Punk said turning off the car, before she could open her door Punk jogged over to open her door and help her out.

"In the tattoo shop?" She asked seriously causing him to laugh

"No upstairs in the penthouse" he said leading her up the stairs and fished for his keys. She could only assume Punk bought her to sleep with her and for some reason she was hoping for it.

When AJ stepped inside behind Punk the place was magical. It was pretty bare only necessary furniture and there wasn't any clutter or a mess in sight.

"Wow" AJ said eyeing the place

"You like it?" Punk asked

"It's big" she said to him and he laughed lightly

"So you don't like it?" Punk questioned

"I didn't say that" AJ said to him "It's just kind of bare" she said as he helped her remove her jacket

"I don't spend a lot time here" Punk said to her "It's just a place to sleep"

"Don't you want a home?" She asked curiously

"I haven't had a home in a long time" Punk informed her

"I know the feeling" She mumbled looking at some artwork on the wall.

"That was insensitive for me to say" Punk said quickly "You of all people know what it's like to grow up without a home"

"It's fine, it's the truth" she said simply "Why did you bring me here?"

"I wanted to get to know you better" he informed her and she felt her stomach tighten and not from fear but excitement.

"I've been warned about you" AJ told him honestly

"Devon?" Punk asked

"And Maria" AJ said to him honestly

"What did they say?" Punk asked

"You're very domineering" She said to him "You don't hang around"

"Are you looking for someone who hangs around?" Punk questioned

"I don't know" she admitted

"I'm not so much domineering, I'd like to think I'm slightly controlling" Punk said to her "It's a bad habit" he shrugged as AJ just eyed him.

"Did you bring me here to have sex with me and then write me off?" she asked bluntly

"Who said anything about writing you off?" Punk questioned "I would like to sleep with you" he said honestly

"Why?" AJ asked him

"You're very attractive. I feel drawn to you" Punk admitted. "Does that bother you? Because I can take you home right now if you'd like. I may be controlling but I would never force any woman into anything they didn't want"

"I'm here aren't I?" AJ even surprised herself with the response. It had been a long time since she was with a man and honestly Punk was the most attractive man she had ever seen.

"I'm glad" he said to her "Are you thirsty? Water?" he asked her leading her into the kitchen.

"Please" she said and reached into the refrigerator and opened a cap off a water bottle and passed it to her. She was feeling nervous now but she had no intentions of backing out. She saw out of the corner of her eye Punk watching her sip on the bottle causing her to stop.

"Are you sure AJ?" he asked her

"Yes" She said to him as she placed the bottle on his countertop. He grabbed her by the hand and casually led her up the short staircase. He opened a door that led to his bedroom and it was beautiful. Dark paint, dark furnishing, dark bedspread but his windows were floor to ceiling and had no curtains. "How do you sleep in?" she questioned

"I don't" He said simply. The room was lit by the moonlight but it was far enough away from other buildings that other people couldn't see in. She walked over to the window and looked out. The view of Chicago was beautiful. "You like the view?"

"Yes" she said taking it all in.

"Me too" he said tilting his head but he wasn't referring to gorgeous lit up Chicago skyline. She turned around to face him and wasn't sure what to do.

"Have you ever been with a man before?" Punk asked bluntly

"Of course" She said to him

"I only ask because I don't want to hurt you" Punk said to her honestly. "Take off your shoes" he said as he removed his t-shirt. AJ listened and kicked off her shoes and socks and moved to her own t-shirt "Don't" he said to her "I like to do that" there was that controlling domineering quirk she was warned about it. "I'm going to make you feel really good" Punk told her as he made his way over to her. He placed his hands at the hem off her t-shirt and gently tugged it over her head. He seemed stunned to see she had such a toned stomach. "You work out" He said running his hand over the flesh.

"Yea here and there" she said casually trying to not faint at the fact that Punk was touching her. He reached his head down and captured her lips. This kiss was filled with a lot more want then their first kiss last week. She let him take the lead seeing as how he preferred it that way. She was so caught up in the fact that his tongue was wrestling with hers that she didn't even feel him unbuttoning her jeans and lowering the zipper.

Punk lifted her slightly so her legs were wrapped around his waist and her jeans were still half on and moved her over to the bed and dropped her gently onto it. He pulled away from the kiss and looked down at her and AJ wasn't sure what was going through his head, was he having second thoughts? Was he repulsed by her?

"What's wrong?" she asked not really wanting to know

"Nothing" he said honestly and ran his hands over her stomach and up to her breasts and gave them a squeeze. "Nothing at all" he said covering his body with hers and kissed around her collarbone. He moved down her chest without ever losing contact with her flesh until he was at the start of her jeans again. He tugged her jeans down her legs and lifted her leg slightly and kissed the inside of her ankle.

April wasn't sure what to do but she was enjoying herself. She was already feeling wet as Punk slowly kissed up her leg until he reached her thigh and kissed there as well. She had been with men before but not one had ever shown her attention like this. She thought he'd remove her panties next but he instead kissed over them and moved back up her body. She knew where she wanted him but clearly he was in control. He pressed his body against hers so his semi-erection as pressing into her through the lace of her panties. She arched up into is slightly and felt him push her back down against the bed.

"All good things come to those who wait" Punk whispered against her ear as he sucked on her earlobe. "You have amazing legs" he informed her as she let him take over her body "I can't wait until they're wrapped around me while I'm inside of you" he whispered again causing her to moan slightly. If he could bring her this close to the edge with just a few kisses and his words she couldn't imagine what she was in for tonight. She felt him reach behind her and unclasp her and lifted herself slightly so he could fully remove it. AJ instantly went to cover herself but Punk slowly pulled her arms away.

"You're perfect" he said gazing into her eyes. He took one of her breasts into his tatted up hand while his mouth began to suck on one of her hard pecks.

"Oh" she moaned slightly again arching into him feeling his want for her. While he switched breasts so both would get equal attention his free hand glided down her stomach and he gently palmed her through her panties. His touch was like fire to her and she was almost embarrassed by how wet she was, she knew he'd feel it on his hand. He began to massage her there and she felt herself growing more and more excited.

"How long has it been AJ?" he asked taking his mouth of her nipple and looking up at her.

"A while" she said as her cheeks turned bright red. "Sorry" she said shyly and he just grinned

"Don't ever apologize for being ready and wanting me" Punk said to her. He pushed her panties to the side and inserted a finger into her soaking core. "You're tight" he muttered resting his face against her neck as he left hot wet kissed there. He tried for a second and was even more impressed "Shit" he muttered "This is going to be so good" he said to her but she couldn't speak. He had completely taken over all of her senses. "I don't think I can wait" he admitted and moved his thumb over her clit causing her to cry out. "Let go" he practically ordered

"I can't" She cried shaking her head

"This is just the beginning" He assured her "I haven't even gotten started with you yet, let go baby" he said kissing her cheek and when he curled his digits inside of her and hit her clit just right she released almost roughly and Punk quickly removed his fingers from her and rolled off the bed. April was out of breath and turned her to head to look at him, he was grabbing a condom from the nightstand and quickly placed it over his very erect shaft. Before joining her back on the bed he tugged down her panties and tossed them across the room. "Are you ok?" he asked as he moved in-between her legs. She was only able to nod.

"I want you" she said lustfully and that's all he needed to hear. He entered her in one swift motion causing her to moan loudly.

"Holy fuck" He groaned "So fucking tight" he said giving her body a few moments to adjust. "So good though" he assured her kissing her lips. She moved her hands to the back of his neck to pull him deeper into the kiss. Punk had almost forgotten where he was but the need to move hit him and he reluctantly moved away from her lips and began to thrust in and out of her body.

"Wrap your legs around him" He instructed while he tried to move in and out of her tight body. She did just as he asked and crossed her legs behind back "Good" he said with a satisfied smile.

AJ had never been with someone like Punk, he was so powerful yet gentle at the same time. He was clearly enjoying himself but he was taking care of her body as well. She wanted to run her hands over his beautifully decorated chest but her hands could only reach his sides as she encouraged him to move harder into her.

"Harder" she requested

"You sure?" he asked unsurely and she just nodded. He pulled out of her almost completely and rammed right back into her causing her to arch and cry at the same time. Her mouth was open wanting to moan or scream in pleasure but nothing left. It was the most intense and pleasurable moment of her life.

She felt him roll them over without removing himself from her body and laid on his back and looked up at her with wide eyes. She couldn't tell if he was enjoying himself as much as she was but right now all she could think about was her own release. His hands moved to her hips and guided her up and down at just the right pace. She closed her eyes tightly feeling her stomach begin tighten.

"Keep them open" He instructed and she did as she was told and opened them, they were glassy and filled with pleasure- he loved that look.

"I'm almost there" she moaned as she rolled her hips and he bit on his lower lip

"What are you waiting for then?" he questioned then moved one hand over her sensitive nub and began to massage it. AJ lost control and as she looked down she was almost embarrassed by the amount of liquid leaving her body but Punk didn't seem to mean. He pulled her off of him and placed her back on her back and entered her again and thrust into her roughly until he found his own release.

When AJ woke up the next morning she was laying next to Punk who was had one arm loosely over her stomach and carefully moved it to the side and got out of the bed. She looked at her phone and saw it was only three in the morning and had four missed calls from Celeste. She gathered up whatever clothes of hers she could find and tiptoed out of the room. Once she was down the stairs she put her t-shirt on and her jeans and quickly zipped them up. She tossed her bra and one sock that she managed to find into her purse and quietly left his house.


	4. Digging Deeper

**Digging Deeper**

* * *

Later that morning AJ had went home showered and got ready for work. She caught the train and managed to make it in on time but only had an hour or so of sleep. She was sporting a long white-sleeved buttoned top with a gray vest and a loose tie. She was hoping not to see Punk today because she felt bad about sneaking out. She wasn't sure what she wanted but she if she had only gotten one night Punk it was definitely worth it. Even though she was exhausted, she was glowing.

"Good morning" an almost annoying voice announced causing AJ to look up at him. Standing before her was a chubby older man who she already didn't like.

"Good morning" AJ said with a smile "How can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Mr. Klein" the man announced still smiling

"Your name?" AJ asked looking over Elliot's schedule.

"Paul Heyman" he said cheerfully

"You're not on the schedule" AJ said smugly looking up at him.

"I'm sure he'd want to see me" Paul smiled "Go ahead and call into him" he instructed

"You are not my boss" AJ informed the man sweetly "I answer to Mr. Klein and he's already in a meeting. But why don't you leave your name and number and I'll make sure to tell him you dropped by"

"Sweetheart-" he started

"That's not my name" AJ informed him before he could continue

"Do you know who I am?" He asked placing both hands on her desk and leaning into her personal space but AJ wasn't intimidated.

"Paul Heyman" She said coolly "You just told me" she smiled "And I'm sure if Mr. Klein wanted to see you he would have told me to let you in but he did not so you can't go in" she said smartly

"How long have you been working here dear?" Paul asked amused with a grin

"Long enough" AJ retorted "And I've never heard your name once"

"I'm sure that was an oversight" he smirked

"I'm sure it wasn't" AJ responded quickly "So please leave your number and a message or I'll call security" she told him

"Wow" Paul chuckled "Listen baby girl why don't you get your pretty ass up out of your comfy seat knock on Mr. Klein's door and inform him the one and only Paul Heyman is here to see him and make sure when you say my name you say it with respect" he shot at her in a much lower voice.

"Paul" A voice said starling him. AJ looked over and saw Punk walking over to him.

"Hey kid" Paul smiled in a friendly voice "I've left you messages-"

"Get out" Punk instructed "Don't come into this office again and do not ever disrespect someone in this building like that again" he warned

"Do you know why I'm here?" Paul questioned

"I don't give a shit as to why you're here" Punk said honestly and his voice grew darker. "Elliot doesn't give a shit why you're here either. Get out of here but before you do apologize to Ms. Mendez for being an unbelievable jackass to her"

"My deepest apologizes madam" Paul said sarcastically "Happy?"

"Do you need me to show you out?" Punk questioned taking a menacing step forward towards him

"No" Paul said quietly "I hate that it's like this between us you know?" Punk didn't respond but glared towards the older man. "I'll see you around kid" he said then headed towards the elevator.

"Thanks" AJ said looking up at Punk

"He's an asshole" Punk informed her "Next time he comes in here don't even engage just call security"

"Ok" she said to him

"He's Seth's attorney" Punk told her and now she understood.

"Are you here to see your father?" she asked him

"No I came to see if you made it to work" Punk admitted "I thought someone stole you out of my bed this morning" he whispered "No one's ever ditched me before"

"I didn't ditch you" AJ said to him "I had to be here by nine and wanted to go home and shower"

"I have three showers in my home" Punk said looking down at her

"I had to get new clothes" She said to him

"I would have taken you home if you would have woken me" Punk said

"I didn't want you to think I was some clingy girl" AJ admitted

"I don't think you're clingy" Punk said to her "But I do think you're a flight risk. The entire night I was dreaming about what I was going to do to you first thing in the morning but alas- you were gone"

"Sorry" she said with a light smile

"Are you?" he asked with a smile

"I just assumed you'd want me gone" AJ said to him

"Don't believe everything you hear" Punk said to her "I like you and I wanted to fall asleep next to you and wake up next to you as well. I thought you didn't have a good time"

"I had a great time" AJ said unable to hide her satisfied smile

"So do I" he said softly and reached down and ran his thumb over her bottom lip "There's so much I want to do with you" he said sensually and AJ felt herself growing hot. Her heart began to race as she waited for him to make his next move but she then realized she was at work. "I want to see you again" he said moving his hand away from her

"Well you know where I work" she teased

"What are you doing tonight?" He asked her

"Nothing" she said without thinking and he smiled

"Good I'll meet you here after work" he said to her

"Are we going back to your place?" she asked him

"Is that all you can think about it?" he teased with a grin "Don't worry I'm not some sort of sex crazed maniac" he assured her but AJ actually had a hard time believing that. "I'll meet you here at five sharp"

"Ok" she smiled. He leaned over and his lips were inches from hers and AJ closed her eyes in anticipation

"Kissing you wouldn't be very appropriate" Punk said as his hot breath hit her lips and she opened her eyes slowly "I also don't think I'd be able to stop at just a kiss" he said then moved away from her all together. "Have a good day" he said to her and she just smiled.

* * *

As Punk stepped outside the office he heard the familiar voice behind him.

"Why does it have to be like this between us?" Paul asked and Punk slowly turned around to face his former friend

"You made it this way" Punk reminded him "You, Seth and Amy"

"It's just business" Paul shrugged with a laugh "You used to know the difference between business and personal affairs"

"Don't come back here again and tell your client I'm not selling shit to him" Punk spat

"You hate the club business" Paul reminded him

"But I hate Seth more and I won't stop until I put that shit hole out of business" Punk said coldly and began to walk off

"She's a little young and naïve for you, isn't she?" Paul asked causing Punk to freeze and turn around abruptly

"What did you just say?" Punk clearly heard him but Paul got the reaction he was looking for.

"Daddy's new PA" Paul chuckled "What is she twelve?"

"You don't know what you're talking about" Punk spat

"I know you" Paul said to him

"No you really don't and don't bring her up again either and if you ever talk to her in the way you did earlier today again I'll break your jaw- again" Punk threatened

"We'll get passed this" Paul said as Punk took off

"No we won't!" Punk shouted as he walked further away.

* * *

AJ was about to leave for lunch when she saw Mia smiling as she walked towards her.

"Hey" AJ smiled

"Hey are you going to lunch?" Mia asked

"Yup" she said

"Good, mind if I join you?" she asked

"No of course not" AJ said grabbing her jacket

"Cute outfit" Mia noted "Are you sure you're not a stylist?"

"Yea right" AJ scoffed

They decided to have lunch at a Chinese restaurant not far from the office.

"So what happened with you and my brother my last night?" Mia asked bluntly

"Um-" AJ started

"Spare me the details" Mia giggled "I actually don't want to know but clearly you two are getting closer"

"We're just having fun" AJ said coyly

"Good and you should" Mia said to her "But don't hurt him, ok?"

"I wouldn't do that" AJ said shaking her head

"He's tough and he's had a really rough life so sometimes he's a little cold and downright rude but just have patience with him" She encouraged

"We're not dating" AJ said to her "I don't think he's like that"

"I suppose not but if he were to we all agree you'd be the perfect fit" Mia told her honestly

"We?" AJ questioned

"You know Maria, my mom, my dad-" Mia trailed off

"Does everyone think we're dating?" AJ asked horrified

"It's just wishful thinking" Mia shrugged "I realize it's none of my business but I just had to put that out there"

"You're just being a good sister I respect that" AJ said to her

"You won't mention Dean and I to him will you?" Mia asked

"Oh god- no! Of course not!" she assured her and Mia as immediately at ease "I wouldn't betray your confidence like that"

"I didn't think you would but I just wanted to make that clear" Mia said with a laugh

"Dean seems to make you happy though, isn't that what Punk wants for you?" AJ asked

"You'll learn this about my brother- he wants the people in his life happy but he also thinks he knows what's best for them. Dean is amazing but we've agreed Punk doesn't have to know" Mia said to her

"We? You and Dean?" AJ asked

"Well my mom knows" Mia informed her "But my dad and brothers might not understand. Dean works for Punk they would never think he's good enough" it hit AJ right then and there that she wasn't good enough for Punk either.

"I really like hanging out with you and I don't want you to be afraid to talk to me about anything" AJ said to her kindly "Whatever is or isn't going on between Punk and myself won't change my loyalty to you"

"Thanks" Mia said happily "After Seth they're all just so protective"

"If you don't mind me asking what is his story?" AJ asked "His attorney showed up at the office and Punk looked like he was going throw him out of the window"

"Seth and I were high school sweethearts but out relationship was kind of forbidden" Mia shared freely "His dad and my dad were business rivals but respected each other enough. Seth's father passed away a few years ago and he found himself running this huge company. Money and power went to his head" Mia confided "He opened up Tonic to try to put my dad's club's out of business and it worked for at least two of his clubs. I was so mad at him" Mia said to her

"You must have been in a tough spot" AJ sympathized

"His club Tonic was horrible" Mia admitted "He would take money from questionable men so they can 'conduct' business in the club and one night one of those guys put a knife on me. I was petrified"

"I could imagine" AJ frowned

"But it still wasn't enough to push me from him. Seth promised he'd change the club and proposed" Mia smiled weakly "Three weeks after he proposed I walked in on him in bed with Amy"

"Who is Amy?" AJ asked. She knew there was a connection with Punk there.

"Amy used to date or 'hang out' with Punk" Mia told her "I didn't know her well but I know my brother was crushed. Paul who you mentioned used to work for my father and took Punk under his wing but he jumped ship to Seth's company"

"Wow" AJ said slowly "I'm sorry that happened to you"

"I'm not" Mia said happily "It all led me to Dean"

"And Dean and Punk are good friends?" AJ asked

"Dean and Punk grew up together. I've known Dean for as long as I've know my brother" Mia smiled "I always had a crush on him but after everything with Seth, Dean was the one who just listened to me and let me cry without trying to fix me."

"He seems like a great guy" AJ smiled

"He is" Mia said to her seriously then smiled

"It's a shame you have to keep it a secret" AJ frowned

"I'll take what I can get" Mia admitted "We don't want anything serious we're just having fun. Don't let anything I just told you scare you away though"

"What do you mean?" AJ asked amused

"Punk likes you" Mia said surely "We can all see it. Even Devon" she smirked

"He's very hard to read" AJ sighed

"That he is" Mia agreed "But I can tell he likes you"

"We have plans after work today" AJ informed her

"Really?" Mia asked happily "Doing what?"

"He doesn't really tell me anything" AJ said giving it thought "He kind of just bosses me around"

"He's like that" Mia smirked "But no matter what Devon or Maria tell you Punk has a heart of gold and if you're one of the lucky ones he lets in there you're one of the very few lucky ones"

* * *

AJ looked over to the time and saw it was five after five. Elliot was heading out of his office and saw AJ was still there.

"Everything ok?" he asked the new PA

"Yes" she said putting on a smile

"I heard Mr. Heyman dropped by earlier" Elliot said with a frown

"I'm sure he complained about me" AJ said nervously "I didn't mean to be so rude-"

"Don't apologize" Elliot said stopping her "I heard you held your own" he said proudly "Good for you! And next time he gives you a hard time buzz me right away"

"Sure" she said to him

"Are you heading out?" he asked her "I'll walk you out" he offered

"I just have a few more things to do" AJ said to him kindly and that's when Punk walked over.

"Oh hey Punk" Elliot grinned then looked over to AJ and smiled then back to Punk. "Are you here to see your old man?"

"No I actually thought you'd be gone by now" Punk admitted scratching the back of his head

"Nope" Elliot said happily "Going out?" he asked him then looked towards AJ still smiling

"Maybe" Punk said trying to hold back a laugh

"Good" Elliot said simply "Have fun" he then headed towards reception but stopped and turned around "AJ we have family dinner Sunday nights and Jennifer mentioned she'd like you to join us this wwek" he said putting her on the spot. Punk looked over to AJ who felt like she had a spotlight on her. She wasn't sure what to say at all.

"She'll be there" Punk answered for her

"Good your mom will be thrilled" Elliot smiled then walked away.

"Sorry about him" Punk mumbled "I hope you don't mind family dinner"

"No it's fine" she said standing up and before she could grab her jacket, he did and held out for her. "I'd ask where we were going but I'm sure you won't tell me" she noted

"You already know me so well" Punk said seriously

"I actually don't know you at all" AJ said to him

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you" He said coolly.

* * *

As soon as they stepped outside AJ buttoned up her jacket and shivered slightly.

"Where do you park your car?" Punk asked her

"I don't take a car to work" AJ said to him and he frowned "I take the train"

"You take the train at night?" Punk asked

"I get out around five every night" AJ smiled

"What about if you work later?" Punk asked

"Then I'll take the train" she smirked

"I don't like you taking the train so late" Punk informed her

"I'm not that big of a fan of it either" AJ teased "But it is what it is. I've been on my own most of my life riding the train after hours is nothing"

"Cold?" he asked her

"I'm ok" she said and he placed his arm around her pulling her close and directed her down the street

"We're not going far" he assured her

They arrived at Dave and Buster type of bar. Punk watched as AJ dominated almost every single game she played and learned she was just as competitive as he was. They eventually went back to their table to eat and Punk was impressed as she devoured an entire bacon cheeseburger and fries.

"Am I grossing you out?" AJ asked with a full mouth of food

"Quit the opposite actually" he smirked enjoying how open AJ was. She clearly was embarrassed to be herself in front of him.

"If you don't want me at the dinner Sunday I can just tell Elliot something came up" AJ said to him

"Who says I don't want you there?" Punk asked arching a brow

"Just a feeling" she shrugged

"I want you there. Maybe it will be more tolerable with you there" Punk smiled

"You all seem like a tight family" AJ said to him

"We are" Punk agreed "But we work together, hang out together- it's a lot" Punk confided

"So you work out?" she asked causing him to laugh

"How could you tell?" he teased

"No I just mean Randy told me you two go to the same gym" AJ said to him

"Elliot owns the gym" Punk told her

"I figured as much" AJ said

"But no I didn't realize he went there" Punk said to her

"You seem like you know him" AJ pointed out

"I've never been formally introduced until you did so, but he used to hang around my club" Punk told her "I think he hangs around Seth's club now" and AJ's face fell. Mia had just rambled on about what went on there and Celeste's boyfriend was hanging out there? "Something wrong?" he asked catching her worried look

"Mia and I had lunch today and she gave me the rundown of Seth's club" AJ admitted "I just didn't think he was the type of guy to hang around at a place like that"

"No one is how they seem" Punk told her

"I don't want to see my friend hurt" AJ said almost sadly

"Is she stupid?" Punk asked surprising her

"No" AJ said defensively

"Then you don't have to worry about her" Punk told her. He heard his phone vibrate on the table and glanced down at it but didn't respond.

"Work?" AJ asked

"Yea but it can wait until I get in later" Punk said to her

"You're working tonight?" AJ asked with a hint of disappointment

"I am" He smiled "Why?" he asked leaning forward

"No reason" She said picking up a fry and chomping down on it

"I like you" he informed her and she locked eyes with him "I want to spend time with you and get to know you. I can't remember the last time I wanted to get to know a woman before I tore off her clothes" he admitted

"You did that last night" AJ reminded him

"I couldn't wait" He grinned "I'm very attracted to you" he said bluntly "I want to sleep with you again, I want to do so many things to your body that I might just scare you off- but before I do I at least want you to know I'm not a complete jerk and maybe you wont run"

"What makes you think I'd run?" AJ questioned

"I can be very…controlling" he said using that familiar word

"I like that" AJ admitted and Punk's jaw locked "You're a man who knows what you want. There's something to be said about that"

"What's your history like?" Punk asked

"You want like a number?" AJ asked with a laugh

"No I'd rather you not ever tell me that" Punk admitted with a nervous smile.

"I've never had sex with someone who took care of me the way you did last night, does that work for you?" she asked

"Yea" He said swallowing a lump in his throat.

"I'd like to return the favor" she informed him

"I look forward to that" Punk said to her "But that won't happen tonight. Tonight I wanted to show you I can be a good guy"

"I already thought that" AJ said to him "Why do you feel the need to prove it to me?"

"Like I said I like you and I want you to stick around for a while" Punk said to her

"Just a while?" she asked fearfully. She could see herself falling deep for this open but yet still mysterious man

"For as long as you'll have me" Punk responded. His phone vibrated again and he looked down.

"I'm done" she said putting her napkin down.

"Good there's someone I want you to meet" Punk said standing up and reaching into his pocket. AJ reached for her own wallet and without looking up Punk spoke as he counted some bills. "I really hope you're not reaching for your wallet to pay for this meal" he then looked up and her face looked like she had just caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "When you're with me I pay for things you're going to have to get used to that and it's not negotiable" he said seriously.

"I don't want you to think I'm spending time with you because you have money. I'm sure it's crossed our mind" AJ said to him

"Actually not once" Punk said honestly

* * *

Once they stepped outside AJ noticed a dark SVU and a large man with long dark hair leaning against it.

"Hey Roman" Punk said shaking his hand "This is AJ" he introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you" he smiled kindly

"Roman works for me" Punk told her "He does security at my club and personal security but he's also a driver"

"Oh" AJ said unsurely not sure as to why Punk was introducing them

"He's going to be driving you home from work from now on" Punk informed her and AJ's eyes widened

"That's not necessary" AJ said to Punk then smiled towards Roman "Seriously don't do that" Punk opened the door and ushered AJ inside. They were cut off from Roman's view by a divider. Punk closed the door as he sat next to AJ who looked angry now.

"I don't need a driver" AJ argued

"Why don't you drive to work?" Punk questioned

"Because I don't have a car at the moment" AJ said to him

"So you'll let me buy you a car?" Punk asked her

"No!" she shouted and he just laughed and that's when the car started to move

"This is me" Punk said to her "I don't want you taking a train so you can either take the ride or a car the choice is yours"

"Punk" She warned "I've been on my own my entire life"

"And now you're not" he shrugged "I like to take care of people." He said to her as if what he was offering was nothing major.

"This is too much" AJ said to him

"If you can't handle this I'm not sure you can handle much more of me" He almost threatened. If this was a deal breaker of not having Punk in her life she'd deal with it.

"Fine" She muttered "I think it's crazy though"

"I've been called worse" Punk said to her. He then cupped her chin between his fingers "Give me a kiss" he instructed and that was one order AJ was happy to follow.

With the way they were sitting the kiss was awkward so AJ moved to straddle him in the backseat of the car and cupped his face and kissed him forcefully. It was almost like she was trying to taking out the anger over the forced driver out on his lips and Punk wasn't putting on a fight, he willingly gave into the kiss. His hands were wrapped around her and one lowered beneath her work pants and cupped her ass, he gave it a squeeze causing her to roll her hips into groin.

"Oh fuck" He groaned. He continued to play with the flesh of her backside and his free hand moved to her white blouse and he unbuttoned the top view giving him a small visual of her breast. He bit over bust causing her to run her fingers through his short hair as she continued to roll into him.

"Are you sure you have to go to work?" AJ asked

"I don't think I ever want to go to work again" Punk admitted then pulled her face to meet his again. Her body pressing into his was almost too much and he was ready to lay her across the seat and blow her mind but he was working on being patient.

After making out for the next five minutes and full on grinding the car came to a stop and Punk realized they were outside AJ's place. She pulled away from him and he was now even more aroused. Her lips were swollen from the kisses, blouse half undone and her hair was all over the place. He didn't want to let her go.

"I'm home" she said to him

"Yea" he agreed. "I'd rather just blow off work and take you to bed" he said trying to straighten out her hair.

"No you have to work and I need a good nights sleep, I had a rough night last night" She teased

"I'd say I'm sorry to hear that but I'm not" Punk smiled. She leaned down slightly and the two began to kiss again only this time Punk was buttoning up her blouse and fixing her pants for her.

"I should go" she whispered not wanting to pry herself off of him just yet "Have a good night at work"

"I won't" Punk said seriously and AJ climbed off of his lap. She looked down and saw how hard he was through his pants and frowned

"Sorry" she mouthed to him and he just gave her a sarcastic smile.

"I'll walk you to your door" Punk said but she stopped him

"Maybe you shouldn't" She said nodding towards his arousal "Also I don't think I'd make it inside" she said to him.

"Yea I guess" Punk agreed

"If you want to stop by after work I wouldn't complain" she said to him, she knew she wouldn't make it through the night without being with him again.

"I'm only overlooking some orders tonight I'll be gone three hours max" he told her

"I'll be up" AJ said to him. She reached for the door and jumped out.

"Three hours" he repeated before she closed the door. The car didn't leave until AJ was safely inside. She closed the door behind her and leaned against with the goofiest smile. Punk was intense and controlling- everything little girls were warned to stay away from but something about him seemed so right…

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone giving this story a try! I promise you more is to come! There's still alot of drama and bedroom moments to come!**


	5. Past Comes To Light

**A/N: Yikes what feedback! I apperciate it all and yes obviously there are similiar points to Fifty Shades (which by the way is not the only story to be written like that, there's hundreds novels written the same exact way) and clearly that's a theme of this story. But it's NOT going to be identical. Everyone, it's only been FOUR chapters please give the story a little room to grow and give it a chance to become it's own. I love to write don't get me wrong but it would be nice to not have constant compliants. If you don't like Fifty Shades or stories similiar to it- you're probably not going to like this story that much but I'd like you to give it a shot and wait to see because like I said it's NOT the same story. Continue to read and like I said give it a shot, if you don't like it I can't stress it enough- DO NOT READ. Anyway...thanks for the vocal response (I think?) and enjoy the next chapter.**

* * *

**Past Comes To Light**

* * *

AJ woke up the next morning and looked to her left and saw Punk was fast asleep. He came by just as promised after work and the two had another steamy night. But Punk made it clear he wasn't a fan of how small her bed was and informed her he was not a cuddler. That was fine by AJ she still wasn't sure what this was but she was going to enjoy herself while she could. She crawled out of the bed and watched as he shifted slightly and rolled onto her side of the bed still fast asleep. She headed out into the kitchen and thankfully Celeste made coffee before she left for work.

"Yes" She said happily reaching for a mug

"Heard a lot of that last night" Randy grinned causing AJ to jump and let out a small scream

"You scared the shit out of me" she said narrowing her eyes at him

"Sorry" he chuckled as he placed some clothes into a gym bag "Celeste left earlier and let me sleep in"

"It's fine" she said pouring herself a cup of coffee

"So you and Punk seemed like you had a wonderful evening" Randy teased

"Sorry if we were loud" AJ said feeling embarrassed

"No, no I enjoyed hearing you" Randy smirked "Who would have thought little AJ had that much kink in her?" he teased. AJ blushed remembering Punk walking into her room, pinning her to her bed and having his way with her. It felt like he spent hours inside of her body last night and AJ was only craving more from him.

"I'll keep it down next time" AJ smiled kindly

"Like I said, I don't mind" He winked

"Morning" Punk said causing both Randy and AJ to look over to him. Punk leaned down and kissed AJ's cheek.

"See you guys later" Randy said grabbing his bag and walking out the door.

"I don't like him" Punk noted as he watched Randy leave

"No kidding" AJ teased "He's not a bad guy"

"If you say so" He said casually as AJ passed him a mug and poured him a cup of coffee. "So what's your deal?" he asked looking over to her

"What do you mean?" she asked

"Why is it every time I fall asleep next to you I wake up and you're gone?" Punk questioned

"I don't know, why don't you like to cuddle?" She shot back

"I just don't" Punk shrugged sipping his coffee

"I have a meeting before work so I wanted to get a head start" AJ said to him

"What kind of meeting?" Punk asked curiously

"A PI" AJ told him and he nodded

"If you want to know about me all you have to do is ask" He teased

"My oh my, you are awfully full of yourself" AJ noted with a laugh

"Actually I think you're the one that's full of me" Punk responded smoothly then sipped his drink again. "At least last night you were"

"Subtle" AJ laughed "As hard as it's hard for you to believe this has nothing to do with you" she informed him

"So are you going to tell me or am I going to have to hire a private investigator to investigate your private investigator?" he asked coolly

"You would, wouldn't you?" She asked and he just shrugged innocently "I'm looking into my family"

"Your dad?" he asked

"Anyone" AJ said to him "I'm just curious"

"How long have you been looking into your family?" Punk asked her

"A while" She admitted "It's harder to keep tabs since I moved to Chicago."

"I can always help" Punk offered "Elliot has a lot of connections"

"Oh no" She said shaking her head "I don't want to do that. Besides I'm not even sure what I'm looking for."

"Let's say your PI finds your dad or an aunt what would you do with that information?" Punk asked

"I just want to know where I came from" AJ shrugged "I didn't know my mom well and I don't remember much. I do remember it was only us there was never grandparents or cousins. I just want to know where I came from and I want to know why no one wanted me" she admitted. She said it so freely and casually as she moved around the kitchen but Punk's heart fell slightly.

"I'm sure that wasn't the case" Punk disagreed

"I don't feel bad about anymore" AJ told him "I just want some answers. I want to know what was so bad about me that my dad never wanted to meet me and my mom had to kill herself to escape me"

"You really feel that way?" Punk asked

"What should I feel?" she asked him "I mean you lost your parents but a great family took you in. You had a constant in your life I never did."

"I've never thought of myself as lucky before" Punk said to her "But I guess I am"

"You really are" She said to him "Celeste is the only person who has been consistently in my life and I only met her when I was seventeen"

"I'm sorry" He said to her

"For what?" she asked

"It's just a shitty way to grown up" he admitted "Not having anyone, not having a home"

"I accepted all of that a long time ago I just want to know why" AJ said to him

"Well how hard could it be?" Punk questioned "You know your mom's name you should be able to pull anything up on her"

"My PI has" AJ said "But she changed her name when she was eighteen and it's been difficult getting that kind of information. He thinks that if she did all of that there was something she was running from like maybe her family wasn't that great" she shrugged

"That could be true. Are you sure this is something you really want to dig into?" he asked "You might not like what you hear"

"I just want to know" she said softly "You think I'm crazy don't you? Trying to find a family that never wanted me" she chuckled softly

"No I think you're driven" Punk corrected "I'd be doing the same thing and I'd like to help out anyway I can"

"I'll let you know" she promised "Do you want to shower?"

"No go ahead I need to get back to my place" He said standing up

"Oh and about the driver thing-" She started

"You hate it" Punk smiled

"Totally loath it" She said to him "I like my freedom it's all I've ever had"

"Ok" Punk said simply. "Roman will not drive you home"

"Thank you" She said happily. He walked over to her and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. "When am I going to see you again?" she asked him. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to spend.

"I'll be by the office later for a meeting with Elliot and Devon" Punk told her "And then I have to be at the club, you can come by" he offered

"Maybe but I think I'm going to stay in tonight" she said to him "Catch up with Celeste"

"Alright" Punk said to her "We'll talk later maybe I'll take you to lunch" he smirked "I want to know what you found out from your PI"

"Ok" she said smiling. It was nice he was actually taking an interest when he didn't have to.

* * *

AJ was meeting her PI in a coffee shop located in the lobby of Klein Industries.

"Swanky job kid" the older man smiled

"Hi Shawn" AJ smiled

"Wow this is a sweet place you got here" he said to her with a goofy smile

"I'm just a personal assistant" AJ reminded him

"Still I'm sure Elliot Klein pays well" Shawn whistled

"Enough about my job Mr. Michaels" AJ scolded in a teasing voice "Do you have anything for me?"

"Not yet" he informed her regrettably "But I'm waiting on some calls but I do have a theory"

"What kind of theory?" AJ asked

"Your mom was only sixteen when she had you" Shawn reminded her "There's a possibility that your conception wasn't entirely consensual"

"You think I'm a product of a rape?" AJ asked surprised

"There's just so many dead ends and if your mom knew who your father was she certainly never told another soul. She never listed a father on your birth certificate and I did meet up with a woman who worked with your mom at the time she was pregnant and she said your mom never told anyone she was pregnant until the day her water broke. She never mentioned a boyfriend-"

"Oh" AJ said quietly

"She never used her real name either she had left her family before she even got pregnant with you" Shawn told her "She only pops up on the grid when she's fifteen"

"I understand" AJ said to her "It actually explains a lot"

"What do you mean?" Shawn questioned

"My mother couldn't stand to look at me" AJ said to him "That's why she killed herself. I was a constant reminder of a horrible time in her life"

"Oh sweetheart-" Shawn started but AJ stood up

"Thanks for everything Shawn" AJ said to him "But I think this is over now. Nobody else needs to know"

"AJ please wait" Shawn pleaded standing up as well

"I'm going to be late for work" she said quickly and ran out of the coffee shop and straight into the elevator.

* * *

As soon as the elevator doors closed AJ realized she was by herself and began to cry. She covered her mouth with her hand as she sobbed into it. The ride up was short and AJ tried to contain her hysterics as she stepped off the elevator.

"Hey AJ!" Maria smiled then frowned "AJ, what's wrong?" She asked but AJ just waved her away and took off towards the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and locked it even though it was a public restroom and there were many stalls in there. She just needed a few moments to pull herself together.

A while later Punk was looking at his phone as he stepped off the elevator and laughed at something he was reading.

"What did you do?" Maria demanded placing her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at him.

"What do you mean?" Punk asked looking up

"Why is AJ crying?" Maria asked

"She's crying?" Punk asked placing his phone into his pocket.

"Yes and I can only assume it has to do with you" Maria scolded "You promised me and Mia you would be nice to her"

"Is she at her desk?" Punk asked ignoring Maria's comments

"No after twenty minutes she came out and she's in the meeting that you were supposed to be in ten minutes ago" Maria said to him

"Did she say why she was upset?" Punk asked

"No she said she didn't want to talk about it but she was very upset" Maria said while glaring at him

"Why do you automatically think it has to do with me?" Punk asked annoyed but Maria just gave him a knowing look.

When Punk entered the meeting he wanted to pull AJ out and ask her what was wrong but she was across the room next to Elliot writing on her notepad as she took notes. Punk didn't hear a word in the meeting because he was far more interested in what had upset AJ so much, her eyes were still puffy and her makeup was a little smudged.

"Are you even paying attention?" Devon asked leaning over and whispering to Punk

"Yea, I don't really care" Punk said honestly in a low voice keeping his eyes locked on AJ.

"This is a financially meeting about your club" Devon reminded him

"I don't give a shit" Punk hissed back looking at him finally

"Look if you want to eye fuck the new PA that's fine do it on your time" Devon said to him

"Boy" Elliot said looking over to them "Something you want to share?"

"No" Devon said quickly "Punk was just saying he doesn't want to put more money into the lightening" he lied covering for himself and Punk. Punk's attention went back to AJ who continued to avoid his gaze.

After the meeting Elliot stepped in front of Punk as AJ scurried out of the office quickly.

"What happened?" Elliot asked him. He knew he was referring to AJ.

"I don't know but I'd really like to find out" Punk said to him

"So you didn't do this?" Elliot asked

"Why does everyone think it's me?" Punk asked annoyed

"Your track record speaks for itself" Elliot said sternly

"I didn't do it but I promise I'll fix it" Punk said to his father who nodded

"Tell her to go on home" Elliot said to him "Just tell her I'm taking a half a day or something and for gods sake buy her flowers or something- cheer the poor thing up"

Punk headed to AJ's desk and she eventually looked up at him.

"Do you want to get out of here?" he asked

"Yes" She said surprising him.

"Come on" he said with a nod and she stood up and reached for her jacket. Punk grabbed her hand and led her towards the elevator.

* * *

AJ and Punk arrived at his club but no one else was there except for a few people cleaning up and preparing for the night.

"Is Elliot going to be mad I left?" AJ asked nervously finally speaking for the first time

"No" Punk said as he closed his office door behind him and AJ. "What's wrong?" he asked

"I don't want to think about it" She said as he guided her over to the black leather couch in his office.

"Tell me" He said softly. He was clearly demanding she tell him but trying to patient at the same time. He ran his finger down her cheek.

"I met with my PI" AJ said looking at her hands

"And what did he say?" Punk asked trying to find her eyes but she kept them looking down.

"I'm a product of rape" she said to him and Punk tried not to react "At least that's what he thinks"

"You don't know that for sure" Punk reasoned "He's just guessing at best."

"No it all makes sense" AJ argued starting to cry again

"Why does it bother you so much?" Punk asked confused

"Why does it bother me?" She questioned looking up at him finally "It's one thing to think you were an accident but it's a whole other to realize you were a crime" she said to him "I killed my mother"

"No" Punk shook his head

"Yes she couldn't stand the sight of me because I was forced into her" AJ said as the tears escaped her eyes "Now I understand why I was unwanted"

"You're not unwanted" Punk argued lightly

"How could anyone want me?" she asked almost desperately

"I want you" Punk informed her

"I shouldn't be here" She said to him "I'm not supposed to be here"

"I don't believe that at all" Punk said seriously "I think you're exactly where you're supposed to be, right here in my office with me. No matter how you feel right now and I can't even imagine how you are feeling just know you are wanted"

"You don't think I'm like a curse or something?" she asked with a small innocent smile

"Not even close" he said tucking her hair behind her ear. "Let me help you with this" he offered "I can look into this for you and find out everything"

"No I don't think I want to know anymore" AJ said to him "But thank you"

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked looking at her

"Could you make it all go away?" She asked but he gave her a weak smile

"I would if I could" Punk said to her "I hate seeing you so sad."

"You don't even know me" She laughed lightly

"I know enough" he said simply.

"Can you just make me forget for a little bit?" she asked

"That I can do" he said giving her a soft smile and cupped her face guided it to his own.

Punk was surprised how AJ took control and he decided that she could have it, she could have anything she wanted if it meant she would stop crying. He just wanted her to feel better even if it made him uncomfortable. She moved over to straddle his hips as she continued wrestling his mouth and his hands moved to her button down blouse and quickly began to unbutton them.

AJ knew this wasn't going to last long she felt like she had this fire that needed putting out and she wasn't going to let Punk take over this time, this time it was about her and he seemingly didn't seem to mind. AJ's shirt was gone and she was only wearing her pants and bra but she was just about ready to rip them off. She pulled away from his mouth briefly as she rested her forehead against his.

"Condom?" She asked in a whisper

"In the desk, top right drawer" he said pointing and she climbed off of him.

"Lose the pants while you're at it" she ordered and Punk was surprised by the demand but didn't argue it.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked after removing his pants and boxers and sitting on the couch. He watched as she seductively removed her pants leaving her in a matching bra and panties set. "AJ?" he asked when she didn't move back over him. She dropped to her knees before him and he hitched a breath. "AJ you don't-" he started but she took him into her mouth deeply and he jerked slightly. "Fuck" He moaned "Jesus, you have a very talented mouth" he muttered as he brushed her hair away from her face so he could look at her while she took him deep. "AJ-" he started and watched as she moved her own hand beneath her panties and began to massage herself.

Punk never relinquished control like this but if this was how it would be every time he would. He couldn't believe how this little petite woman who walked into his life a few weeks ago was able to make him feel a way he never felt before.

"AJ enough" He tried to sound stern but he was enjoying what she was doing too much. She released him and looked up at him and wiped around her lips. "AJ" he said looking up at her

"Do you need me?" she asked

"Yea" He said looking up at her and watched as she pulled down her underwear.

"Do you want me?" she questioned

"So fucking bad" he almost cried. He watched her bit the condom wrapper open and slip it on over his throbbing shaft. AJ carefully straddled him and hovered over him. "AJ" he almost warned and she gave him a cute smile before lowering herself onto him. "Oh shit" he muttered. She was always warm, tight and ready for him- he loved being inside of her.

AJ placed her hands on his shoulders and used them to help lift herself up and drop back down on him while he thrust into her at just the right time. For the first time Punk felt himself hurling towards his release before his partner and this alarmed him slightly.

"What?" AJ asked out of breath as she continued to move, he seemed worried and not really enjoying himself.

"I'm close" He moaned out "Slow down" he said to her but she didn't

"It's ok" She said to him "Just let go"

"Not without you" he said as he slammed her hips back down onto him and kept her there so she couldn't move.

"Oh god!" she cried out from the impact. He quickly ran his fingers over her clit and began to massage her hoping to speed up her orgasm. She again tried to move her hips but Punk's grip was too strong. "Please" she cried out and when he felt her begin to tighten around him he released her and let her move. A few rough thrusts later they released at the same time.

AJ didn't remove herself from his body but instead decided to give each of them a few minutes to calm down. She felt him run his hands up and down her back to sooth her.

"I thought you didn't cuddle" AJ noted

"This isn't cuddling" Punk pointed out

"You'll crack one day" she said with a satisfied smile as she rested her head against this shoulder.

"I doubt that" he said as continued to sooth her

"You also said you liked control" AJ said to him "I think I had it"

"Because I let you" he smirked and kissed her shoulder sweetly.

"You liked it" she said and he could feel her smile against his skin.

"I can't say I didn't" Punk admitted

"Thank you" She said to him

"For what?" he asked confused

"Making me feel better" she said to him and he couldn't help but smile lightly at the comment.


	6. Cheap Date

**Cheap Date**

* * *

The week came and went and it was finally Sunday. She had been so busy with the information the PI had given her she hadn't had time to think about the family dinner she agreed to attend. Were her and Punk even in a item? He had never put a label it on it but they spent every night together so far. He preferred to stay at his place because he wasn't a fan of Randy and with the way Randy teased AJ she was sure it would only be a matter of time that Punk would say something.

"Why are you nervous?" Punk asked pulling up into the large driveway that could fit close to six cars. "You already know everybody"

"I just don't know what they're expecting from me" She said to him. She was already second guessing her dress choice.

"What do you mean?" Punk asked turning off the car and looking over to her

"What are we to each other?" she asked him

"I don't really like to put labels on relationships" Punk said to her bluntly

"I understand" She said to him "I mean we're just having fun"

"I'm having fun" Punk smile "Are you?"

"Yea" She said trying to hide her disappointment "Do you have fun with other women?"

"What?" he asked with a laugh

"Are you with other women while you're with me?" she asked him bluntly

"No not currently" He said unsurely "Is everything ok?"

"Yea" she said brushing it off with a smile "I get it. You can be with other women" she said to him but he just eyed her carefully "And I can be with other guys. I'm glad we cleared this all up" she said taking off her seatbelt and reaching for the door and stepping out of the car leaving Punk angered.

"AJ wait" Punk said racing her up to the door

"It's fine I get it" AJ said to him and that's when the door opened. AJ was greeted by the woman who had interviewed her for the job, Elliot's wife Jennifer. The woman had medium length blonde hair and a bubbly personality a lot like Mia's.

"AJ I'm so glad you could make it" she smiled giving her a hug

"Thank you for having me" AJ said to her

"Come in, come in" she said ushering her in. "And you. I only see you at Sunday dinners now?" she scolded Punk

"Sorry Ma" he said as she gave him a kiss hello.

"Mia and Maria are inside the kitchen" Jennifer said pointing to the large kitchen. AJ removed her jacket and Jennifer passed it to Punk. "Put that away for your girlfriend"

"She's not my girlfriend" Punk said to his mother once AJ was in the kitchen.

"Why?" Jennifer asked confused "Your father told me you've taken her out to lunch everyday"

"We're just hanging out" Punk said to her

"Again I ask why?" Jennifer asked "What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing" Punk said to her honestly "She's great"

"So what's the problem?" Jennifer questioned

"I don't do relationships" Punk reminded her

"I don't understand why. She's a lovely girl, very pretty, smart-" Jennifer rambled off

"I know" Punk said to her

"I know you have issues connecting with people" Jennifer frowned "But you need a woman in your life"

"I already have one, you" He teased kissing her on the cheek again then walking away.

* * *

During the dinner Jennifer made sure AJ was seated next to Punk but she hadn't spoken to him since their brief chat in the car.

"So AJ tell us about yourself" Jennifer encouraged happily

"There's not much of a story" AJ smiled politely

"Oh come on I'm sure there's great stories from Jersey" Elliot smiled as he sipped his wine.

"I lived in Jersey for most of my life but moved out to Chicago with my best friend to go to school" AJ offered

"What about your parents?" Devon asked and Punk shot him a death glare. He knew that was still a sensitive topic for AJ.

"How about we talk about something else" Punk suggested and AJ squeezed his thigh slightly under the table as a silent thank you

"We're just trying to get to know your girlfriend better" Devon defended. Great another topic AJ didn't want to talk about.

"Punk and I are just friends" AJ answered for him.

"Pretty close friends, huh?" Devon asked with a laugh

"Don't be rude" Jennifer scolded

"It's fine" AJ smiled

"Ok I'm out of here" Mia announced standing up

"We just sat down to eat" Punk pointed out annoyed

"I have plans" Mia shrugged as Maria joined her "Don't wait up for me" she smiled as she left with Maria

"She's seeing someone" Elliot noted pointing in the direction she left in "What do you know about it?" he asked his sons

"Nothing" Devon said honestly

"Haven't heard a thing" Punk told him

"You?" He asked his wife

"Girls will be girls" Jennifer said with a light smile "Let her have fun she deserves it"

"Do you know anything?" Punk asked looking over to AJ but she just picked up her glass of water and took a sip.

"Enough about Mia" Jennifer warned the men of the table "AJ, how are you liking your job?"

"It's great" AJ smiled "Everyone has been very nice and I haven't been overworked in the slightest"

"Glad to hear that" Jennifer smiled

"So AJ" Devon started as Punk's jaw locked, why did he keep talking to her? He asked himself "Do you have any siblings?"

"No" she said to him "Just me"

"Must be nice" Devon smiled then shot Punk a glare causing him to chuckle

"I actually think it's lonely" AJ said honestly surprising Devon. "I would have loved to have a sister or a brother"

"Oh please you were probably spoiled as a child" Devon laughed and AJ squirmed in her seat slightly.

"Excuse me" she said politely stood up and left the large dinning room

"Was it something I said?" Devon asked looking around the table

"Why do you keep pushing her about her family?" Punk asked him

"I'm curious" Devon defended "What's wrong with that?"

"AJ doesn't have a family" Punk informed him

"Excuse me?" Devon asked slightly annoyed

"She grew up in the foster system" Punk told him "Family shit really bothers her"

"Well I didn't know" Devon said to him "But I'm a little concerned"

"About what?" Jennifer asked

"She's not like us" Devon said to his mother "She's a writer right? Maybe she's a reporter looking for a big payday-"

"Don't you fucking dare" Punk warned from across the table

"Every Sunday dinner" Elliot mumbled under his breath

"She's not hard up for cash" Punk shot at him

"She let's you wine and dine her" Devon pointed out

"It's enough Devon" Jennifer said to him

"We don't know this woman yet we gave her a job where she gets to hear important and confidential businesses dealings, we let her into our home-" Devon pointed out

"Fuck you" Punk spat

"Language" Jennifer scolded towards Punk "And it's enough out of you too" She said to Devon

"She's not even his girlfriend what does he care?" Devon asked.

"You don't know her" Punk said to her

"And you do?" Devon asked with a laugh "How much do you really know besides her bra size and how hard she likes it?" he asked and Punk shot up out of his seat.

"No fighting" Elliot warned standing up "Devon, I believe this is the fourth Sunday dinner you've ruined in the last two months?"

"I'm just looking out for our company- somebody has to" Devon said glaring towards Punk

"I'm leaving" Punk said throwing his napkin down "Obviously I'll be taking AJ with me" he said to his parents

"Don't run off" Jennifer sighed

"Not until he learns to behave himself" Punk said looking at Devon.

Punk walked out of the dinning room and as soon as he did he saw AJ leaning against the wall she had clearly overheard everything said.

"Ready to go?" Punk asked

"I should go thank your mom for the dinner" AJ said sounding brave.

"You don't have to" Punk said to her. AJ peeked into the doorway and smiled.

"Thank you for the dinner Mr &amp; Mrs. Klein" she said and now they both realized she was standing there.

"Don't go" Jennifer said

"Really don't" Devon added "Stay I'll promise not to speak" he smiled

"Punk wants to go" AJ said with a shrug

"We'll do this again" Elliot smiled "I'll see you tomorrow" he said sympathetically

"Thank you again" she said to them

"Anytime" Jennifer frowned then glared towards Devon.

* * *

Punk pulled up outside AJ's place but didn't make a move to get out of the car.

"I'm sorry about tonight" Punk said looking at her

"It's not your fault" AJ said to him "It's not Devon's either he has every right to ask questions"

"It was fucking rude" Punk spat

"It's life" AJ shrugged

"About earlier I don't think you really understand" Punk said to her "I don't want you to be with other men"

"But you want to be with other women?" AJ asked. "I get that you like control and stuff like that but I won't be that" she said to him "I will not be some poor sad girl who waits for you to want her"

"I always want you" Punk said honestly "You have to understand that I've never had a serious relationship"

"What about Amy?" she asked catching him off guard

"What do you know about her?" Punk asked her

"Not much just things I overheard" she said to him

"We weren't in a serious relationship" Punk said to her

"Did you end it with her because she was with another man and that's against your rules?" AJ asked

"There's no rules" Punk smirked "And no I ended it with Amy because she was with Seth who was with my sister. She hurt Mia and that's something I could never forgive. Also Seth isn't very clean cut he's into drugs and other illegal activities and anyone who associates with him in that manner isn't someone I want in my life"

"You care for her" AJ noted

"I'm human" Punk admitted

"I really should get going" AJ said quickly but Punk grabbed her arm before she could open the door. "I get it. We're having fun and that's fine I just wanted to know that's all" she said to him and leaned over and kissed his cheek then got out of the car.

AJ walked inside and just wanted to take a bath and forget this day ever happened.

"I wasn't expecting you back so early" Celeste noted "Everything ok?"

"Yea it's fine" she lied removing her jacket "Question is, what's wrong with you?" AJ could tell Celeste seemed upset. "You and Randy have a fight?"

"No" Celeste said "But I think he's cheating on me" she admitted

"What? Why do you think that?" AJ asked concerned

"We had plans tonight and he cancelled because he said he'd be at the gym, I swung by the gym and he hasn't been there all day" Celeste said to her

"So ask him where he is" AJ encouraged

"I don't want to seem like a psycho" Celeste said to her. AJ began to think that Randy was at Tonic. Punk had mentioned he frequents there. "What are you thinking?"

"Punk mentioned that he's seen Randy around Tonic" AJ said to her

"What's that?" Celeste asked

"A rival club" AJ said to her

"Where is it?" she asked grabbing her jacket and purse

"No you can't go there" AJ said standing in her way

"I'm going" Celeste said to her

"Punk said it's not a good place" AJ argued

"It's a rival club he just doesn't want you there" Celeste said to her with a laugh "Give me the address or I'll GPS it- your choice"

"I'll go with you" AJ offered

"I don't want to get you in trouble with your boyfriend" Celeste said to her

"He's not my boyfriend" AJ said a little more harsher then she would have liked

"We'll discuss that later" Celeste said "Come on" She said walking out the door an AJ followed.

* * *

AJ and Celeste entered the packed club and AJ was already feeling uneasy. It was nothing like Punk's club. This place was dark and she almost felt cold as she entered. There were people all over the place a lot of them all of each other and the way people were dressed alarmed her. Leather, lace- this was more of an orgy club than a dance club.

"Is Punk's club like this?" Celeste shouted towards AJ over the noise

"No!" AJ shouted back.

"Do you see him?" Celeste asked scanning the club

"No I don't think so?" AJ was short as it was so she didn't see much

"I see him!" Celeste shouted pointing across the club "I'll be right back" she said to AJ then made her way across the room.

"Wait don't leave me!" She yelled out but Celeste was already gone.

AJ still couldn't see Randy or were Celeste went so she walked towards the steps to get a better view of the club. She looked down and saw Celeste and Randy and watched as he walked her through a side door.

"Damn it Celeste" AJ muttered

"We have a little spy" a voice said from behind her.

"Oh it's you" AJ said unimpressed upon seeing Paul Heyman

"What is Elliot Klein's new PA doing at Tonic?" Paul asked with a smile

"I'm looking for a friend" AJ said to him

"Right" Paul chuckled "Any luck?"

"I'm fine" She said turning her attention back down towards the club.

"I can see that" Paul grinned "Does Punk know his new bitch is at his rivals club?"

"I'm my own person I do what I want" AJ shot at him coldly and Paul let out a laugh

"I've known Punk a long time" Paul said moving to stand next to her and looked down at the club as well "The man loves control. Just ask Amy" he said nodding down and that's where AJ saw a woman with long red hair covered in tattoos- probably Punk's type exactly.

"I'm here to find my friend that's all" AJ said quietly

"Why don't you have a drink?" Paul offered

"I don't drink" AJ said to him

"Everyone drinks" Paul chuckled "But I can see why Punk likes you"

"What's this?" Seth asked walking over

"AJ here is looking for her 'friend'" Paul told him and Seth let out a laugh, she was now sandwiched between them.

"Maybe your friend is in my office?" Seth suggested and AJ rolled her eyes. "Want to come take a look?"

"That's ok" AJ retorted annoyed "I'm leaving-" but Seth grabbed her wrist a little too roughly

"Why did Punk send you here?" Seth asked "Morbid curiosity?"

"He didn't send me here- he doesn't even know I am here" she said pulling away from him

"Have a drink relax" he said reaching for a drink as a waiter passed by with a tray

"I don't drink" AJ said coldly

"Relax its just water" he smiled but AJ could smell the alcohol coming from the glass. He pressed the glass towards her lips and went to jerk her head but Seth grabbed her by the back of her neck and forced the drink into her mouth causing it to run down her mouth and dress.

"Don't do that" she said giving Seth a hard shove

"Relax" Seth laughed along with Paul "We're just having fun that's what clubs are all about"

"I'm out of here" AJ said walking towards the steps but Paul stood at the top of them.

"There you are" Celeste said walking up the stairs and Paul moved to the side "Randy is ready to go, are you coming?"

"You want to stay?" Seth asked AJ

"Let's get out of here" AJ mumbled as she rushed past Celeste and down the stairs. Celeste eyed the two men then followed her friend down the stairs.

* * *

Once outside AJ took a large breath. The noise from the club could still be heard loudly but she felt so much better be on the outside.

"You ok kid?" Randy laughed flicking his cigarette

"How could you hang out at a place like this?" AJ asked him

"It is kind of seedy" Celeste agreed

"It's chill" Randy shrugged

"Are you ok driving?" Celeste asked passing AJ her keys. "I'm going back to Randy's we have to talk some stuff out"

"Yea ok" AJ said shaking slightly

"Are you sure you're ok?" Celeste frowned

"Yea go on ahead" AJ told her

"Good night" Randy said shooting AJ a wink and grabbing Celeste's hand pulling her away.

As AJ turned around to head to her car she bumped right into someone's chest causing her to almost hit the sidewalk but he grabbed her and held her steady.

"Punk" AJ said surprised "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" he practically hissed tightening his grip on her arms

"I was here with Celeste" AJ said to him

"Where is she?" he asked not spotting her.

"She left with Randy" AJ told him. Punk pulled her by the arm down a side street so they wouldn't be spotted in front of the club.

"Not ten fucking minutes after I tell you about this place you come running here? Are you-" he couldn't finish because AJ wrapped her arms around him and rested her face against his chest. Usually when he yelled at people they didn't hug him in return. This was unfamiliar to him so he just wrapped his arms around her as well. "Are you ok?"

"Yes" AJ sniffled lightly and he frowned. He also caught a whiff of liquor.

"Were you drinking?" he asked pulling away from her slightly and saw her dampened shirt.

"No it spilt on me" She said to him "I need to get out of here-"

"You're not driving" He said snatching her keys

"I wasn't drinking" she reminded him

"If you get pulled over a cop will smell you and arrest you" Punk reminded her and followed her to Celeste's car.

"Did you come here to see Amy?" she asked

"No" He said slowly "I came here to take you home"

"How did you know I was here?" AJ questioned. He didn't respond instead he unlocked the car and opened the passenger side door for her.

"Why would you come here?" Punk asked trying to remain calm "I mean are you just a defiant person?"

"I told you I came to find Randy" AJ said to him

"And how would Celeste know he was here?" Punk asked

"I told her he comes here and I was right" AJ said as he began to drive.

"This isn't a place for you or Celeste for that matter" Punk said to her "Don't go back there"

"It wasn't that bad" she lied

"Promise me" he demanded looking over to her. His face was hard and AJ could sense some fear in it. She just looked away and out the window. "A girl like you should never be in a place like that. Promise me you won't go there again"

"I promise" She practically mumbled "What do you care anyway?"

"Oh come on" He said annoyed "I care about you AJ that's the fucking problem"

"Why is it a problem?" AJ asked "If you like me what's the big deal?"

"You deserve better" Punk admitted quietly

"That's for me to decide" AJ said to him

"I've never done this" Punk said to her "I have fun and I move on but you-" he started and looked over towards her innocent face "-I can't stop thinking about you. I don't want to fuck you up"

"I'm already fucked up" AJ informed him "Maybe that's why we feel so connected. Did you really come here tonight to get me?"

"Yes" he said honestly

"How did you know I was there?" She asked again

"Roman was there. He told me he saw you" Punk said half honestly

"So Roman just happened to be at your rivals club?" AJ asked in disbelief

"Roman watches the club some nights to see who Seth is doing business with" Punk told her. "He said he saw you go in but lost you in the crowd. Said you looked uncomfortable"

"I was" AJ admitted "I like your club better. I saw Seth and that Paul guy"

"Did they talk to you?" Punk asked coolly

"Yea a little bit" AJ said to him "They think you planted me in there to spy"

"They should know better than that" Punk scoffed "Anything else I should know?"

"No" she said quickly.

* * *

Once they pulled up to AJ's, Punk got out and walked AJ inside.

"Do you want something to drink?" she asked

"No" He said eyeing her "I'm not thirsty"

"Are you mad at me?" she asked "You haven't said much"

"Yes" he said to her "You should have called me before you went there"

"Why?" she asked him "We're just having fun" she reminded him "I'm not going to call the man I casually sleep with to find my friends boyfriend" the words stung Punk more than he would have liked.

"Can we forget today ever happened?" he asked her "Redo it?"

"Would anything change?" AJ asked him

"Maybe" he said to her as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You should get back to work" she said as he moved his hand moved down to her upper thigh and ran it up under her dress.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked in her ear

"No" she said surprising herself. She was prepared to not see him again but his touch was like crack. He moved her hair to the side and she felt his movements stop. "What's wrong?"

"How have I never seen this" he said running his hand over the tattooed tally marks on her neck.

"You've never looked" she said quietly then felt his mouth capture the tattooed flesh roughly. He was licking and sucking at it like he was trying to devour it.

"What does it mean?" he asked her "What's the date" he asked her anxiously. He was clearly very turned on be this and it was evident as his hard member poked into her back. She placed her hands on the counter as he continued to explore under her dress with his hand and neck with his mouth.

"It means nothing" she whispered

"Liar" he said nipping at it roughly now causing her to hiss in pain. "You are a the most difficult woman I have ever been with"

"I prefer stubborn" she said in a whisper and that's when she felt her panties being ripped from her body and her dress was pulled up so she was bare from the waist down.

"Lean forward" he instructed and she rested her upper body across the counter and waited for him. She heard a wrapper that she assumed to be a condom and then he entered her like a sword and she cried out.

Her cheek was resting on the counter and her hands were flat on the surface as Punk continued to thrust into her from behind. She tried to lift her head but Punk held it down as he moved in and out of her. Each thrust got harder and harder and it only turned AJ on more and more. The only sounds that could be heard was the flesh smacking and panting until AJ's cries and moans became to hard to suppress.

"Ah!" She cried as he she felt herself start tighten as Punk didn't slow down. Once she climaxed it pushed him into his own. He pulled out of her and she watched as he pulled off the condom and threw it in the nearby trashcan.

"Why does this feel like goodbye?" she asked him but he didn't respond as he tightened his belt. He walked over to her and cupped her cheek and gazed won into her eyes. He gave her a sweet kiss then walked out the door.

For the first time being with him AJ actually felt cheap and used. Maybe she just wasn't the type of girl to be with a guy like him. She enjoyed the physical time she spent with him but she couldn't deny she wanted more. She felt the need to shower and jumped right in scrubbing her body free of Punk once and for all. Tomorrow was going to be a fresh start she told herself…


	7. Little Red Dress

**Little Red Dress**

* * *

When AJ walked into work the next morning there was a huge bouquet of red roses on her desk waiting for her. She smiled knowing who they were from and reached for the card but her smile slowly faded.

_'Sorry for my rude behavior at dinner, -Devon Klein'_

"I see you got my son's flowers" Elliot said walking up behind AJ

"They weren't necessary I wasn't insulted" AJ lied with a smile

"You're very kind" Elliot grinned "But the flowers were the least he could do. I think he's just a little jealous of Punk to be honest"

"He has no reason to be" AJ said placing the card on her desk.

"Jennifer wants to have you over again if we didn't scare you away" Elliot informed her

"That would be nice" AJ said politely

"Give him a chance" Elliot said almost reluctantly

"Devon?" AJ asked confused

"No, Punk" Elliot said to her "He has some demons but he seems to really like you"

"He has a very funny way in showing it" AJ forced out

"He's a lot like you" Elliot told her "Maybe that's why we all like you so much"

"He's a very great guy" AJ assured him "He's just…"

"Difficult?" Elliot finished with a laugh and AJ nodded "Yea that he actually gets from me" he chuckled

Later in the day Mia had invited AJ out to lunch with her and Maria. But AJ was distracted more so from a cryptic message from her PI Shawn Michaels_. 'I've got some potential big news. I'll keep you posted when I know more.'_

"So I heard about dinner" Mia frowned

"I warned you about Devon and Punk's bickering" Maria added

"It's ok Devon didn't ruin the night" AJ said to them

"Punk pushing you away?" Mia asked

"One second he seems so into me and he says the nicest things and the next he's running out the door" AJ admitted "But I think it's actually done."

"What!" Mia shouted "Why?"

"I want more, he doesn't" AJ said to her "I mean I told him I didn't but he can tell I'm lying"

"And that's actually stopping him?" Maria asked surprised "He's looking out for you"

"I don't need him to" AJ said to them

"Well when you see him at the club later-" Mia started

"No" AJ said shaking her head

"It's Monday night" Maria pouted "It's our ritual" she reminded her

"I don't think he wants me there" AJ said to them

"I think he does" Mia said to her

"Trust me once he gets a look at you he's going to want you there" Maria smiled

"Great idea" Mia grinned back at her

"What are you two talking about?" AJ asked

"We're going to dress you up" Maria grinned

"Oh no" she said to them in a warning voice

"Oh yes" Mia said nodding her head "Hair, makeup, dress, heels"

"I don't wear heels" AJ said to them

"Tonight you will" Maria said to her "Punk probably loves your tomboyish style but trust me the guy has a thing for heels" she said with a wink

"Ew Maria" Mia sighed "It'll be fun"

"I can't" AJ argued

"Don't you want him to see what he's missing out on?" Maria questioned "Punk is a very jealous man"

"It'll be so innocent because obviously it's his club" Mia said to her "Just give him a reason to drool"

"What if he doesn't?" AJ asked them "I don't think I'd be able to stand the embarrassing rejection"

"Trust us he won't be rejecting you" Mia grinned.

* * *

Punk was sitting in his office when he heard a knock. He didn't bother to answer or respond so Dean just walked right in.

"Hey" Dean said taking a seat across from his desk but again Punk didn't look up. "Roman told me you were at Tonic last night"

"I wasn't there to hang out" Punk said bitterly looking up "AJ was there"

"Heard that too" Dean nodded "Something happen?"

"Not at the club" Punk said to him

"What's your deal?" Dean asked him "You and converse girl ended your sexual trysts?"

"Something like that" Punk mumbled

"If you still want to fuck her do it" Dean shrugged "What's your problem?"

"It's not about fucking her" Punk said bitterly

"Hold on" Dean laughed "You want to date her?"

"I don't know what I fucking want!" Punk shouted tossing his paperwork off his desk "She needs a good guy in her life and as much as I want to be that guy I can't"

"Why?" Dean asked confused "You're one of the best people I know"

"I'm not" Punk said shaking his head "She needs more than I can offer"

"I don't believe that" Dean said to him "You really dig her, huh?"

"Yea" Punk admitted "But I don't want to risk hurting her down the road"

"So you're ok with just letting her go?" Dean asked

"She was never mine" Punk said quietly

"It's going to be awkward no?" Dean questioned "She still works with your dad and Mia and her seem pretty tight"

"I'll get over it" Punk said to him "Same as Maria"

"You didn't give a shit about Maria" Dean laughed

"I love Maria" Punk said to him

"Like a fucking friend" Dean said still laughing "Can you say the same thing for AJ? You sit here and watch Maria fuck around with guys every Monday night but if it was AJ you'd be ok with that?"

"Wouldn't be my place to say anything" Punk said casually

"Alright well maybe you should skip out tonight in case she shows up" Dean suggested "Maybe give Beth or Christy a call? Get AJ off your mind a bit?"

"No I'll be fine" Punk said to him

* * *

AJ felt wobbly on her feet as she attempted to walk in heels. The dress she was wearing was Mia's- red lace and tighter than anything AJ had ever worn before. She was sure she would move the wrong way and bust out of it. Mia had told AJ that her brother's favorite color was red and the dress was considered to be her 'lucky dress'.

"Hey" Dean grinned as Mia approached the door ahead of AJ and Maria. "You look fucking hot" he said eyeing her

"Meet me tonight? Our usual place?" she asked with a smile

"Of course" Dean said to her as he moved the velvet rope so she could walk in then followed Maria and finally AJ. "Oh fuck" he muttered "Converse girl?" he asked nervously "Where are your converses?"

"She looks good doesn't she?" Mia asked Dean

"Punk will love it" Dean forced out

"It's not for Punk" AJ informed Dean as she passed him

"Why are you torturing your brother?" Dean asked Mia

"He's going to flip when he sees her" Mia said to him

"He's trying to get her out of his head" Dean said to her "He's all over the place over her"

"Well now he'll be all over her" Mia shrugged

"I wouldn't say that. He's holed up in his office and said he didn't want to be disturbed" Dean said to her

"You'll have to get him out" Mia said to him

"Oh no" he said shaking his head "Do not involve me in this"

"I'll do that thing you really like if you do" Mia grinned

"Really?" Dean asked with wide eyes and she just nodded with a smile "Give me half an hour"

* * *

Dean walked into Punk's office who was playing a game on his xbox clearly uninterested in anything going on outside.

"Hey" Dean said

"Everything ok?" Punk asked briefly looking over to him

"Your sister is here" Dean told him

"She usually is" Punk said concentrating on the game

"So is converse girl" Dean added but again Punk didn't seem interested "Except she's not wearing converse- or much of anything for that matter" that caused Punk to look up at him. Punk stood up and walked over to his office window and moved the blinds slightly and gazed over to where his sister usually sat.

"AJ isn't there" Punk chuckled seeing his sister and the back of a woman he assumed to be Maria because AJ would never dress like that "It's Maria" Dean walked up behind Punk and looked

"No, no that's your girl" Dean said to him "Maria is on the dance floor" Punk looked again and squinted his eyes and when AJ let out a laugh and moved her face he saw it was in fact her. Dressed provocatively and ten pounds of makeup caked on.

"What the fuck is she doing?" Punk muttered keeping his eyes on her

"I'd guess probably trying to get your attention" Dean suggested innocently

"Won't work" Punk said moving away from the window

"Well she's getting somebody's attention" Dean informed him "The guys are swimming in their own drool" he laughed but Punk didn't "One guy offered Langston $500 to get upstairs to talk to her"

"No one gets up here" Punk warned him

"I can keep people down there but I can't keep the girls up here" Dean reminded him

"Mia fucking did that to her" Punk said bitterly "Her and Maria"

"I think you're right" Dean smirked

"It's not funny" Punk shot at him "How am I supposed to fucking forget her when she's sitting ten feet from my door looking like that!"

"Just go talk to her" Dean suggested

"Did Mia put you up to this?" Punk asked annoyed

"What? Mia!?" He laughed "No! I barely talk to Mia- ever" he added quickly

AJ glanced back to Punk's office and frowned.

"He'll be out don't worry" Mia assured her

"This is a waste of time" AJ said to her "I feel so desperate! He clearly doesn't want me here and I'm not going to fawn after him like some loser"

"Hey you are not a loser" Mia said firmly

"Hey ladies" Maria smiled walking over with her hands linked with another man "This is Mike" she introduced "And this is Ziggy"

"Nick" he corrected. The man was a typical pretty boy with slicked back bleached blonde hair.

"This is my friend AJ I was telling you about" Maria said to Nick, pointing at AJ.

"Oh Maria" AJ sighed

"Hi" Nick smiled shaking her hand and then took a seat next to her. Mike sat in Maria's seat but pulled Maria onto his lap. "Maria said you were beautiful but she didn't say you were this beautiful" he grinned.

"I was just about to leave" AJ said to him

"No don't go yet" Maria insisted "Get to know Nick he's a comedian! So funny"

"Want me to make you laugh?" he asked with a crooked smile. "Or scream?" he whispered running his hand up her bare knee.

The next thing AJ felt was being jerked up to her feet. It felt like someone had a vice grip around her arm. She looked up and saw Punk who didn't look happy to see her in the slightest.

"Punk-" she started but he looked towards Nick

"Get out of my club" Punk hissed at him. AJ's eyes widened in horror, this was mortifying.

"I'm sorry if I offended you-" Nick started standing up

"You didn't offend me I just want you out of my club" Punk said not backing down. "Dean!" Punk shouted and he walked over "Get him and him" he said pointing at Mike out of my club. Maria jumped up off of Mike's lap as Dean grabbed Mike by the arm.

"What did we do?" Mike asked

"This is a private are" Punk said to him "Don't come back" he warned the two then dragged AJ into his office and slammed the door behind him.

AJ nearly stumbled in her heels as Punk released her from his grip. She turned around and he was furious.

"I didn't invite them up here" was the only thing AJ could think to say.

"You think this is funny?" Punk asked her "You think you can come into my fucking club and fuck around with another guy under my nose?" he hissed getting in her face

"I didn't invite them up!" AJ yelled "Maria did!"

"I didn't see you pulling away" Punk spat

"You didn't give me a chance to" AJ shot at him "What does it even matter?"

"Not this shit again" Punk groaned "If you want to come here you're more than welcome to but you will not have another guy with you when you do" He warned "If you want that kind of fun why don't you go across town to Tonic?" he said coldly

"You know what?" she asked with a smile and that actually frightened him "Maybe I will" she said still smiling "I'm sure I'd have a great time there-" she began to open the door but Punk slammed it closed from behind her pressing his chest into her back.

"Why are you dressed like this?" he asked in a calmer voice "If you want my attention you already have it, no need to dress like this" she slowly turned around as Punk's arm was still holding the door closed and she was entrapped by him.

"You walked out on me last night" She reminded him coldly "You bent me over and fucked me like I was some fucking whore and kissed my cheek on the way out without a fucking word" she seethed "I get you like control and you're not good at relationships but maybe not treating me that way was unacceptable" she informed him. The anger in his eyes softened slightly.

"I apologize" He said in a low voice

"Do you even mean it? Or are you just saying it because it seems like the right thing to do?" AJ questioned

"I wasn't thinking" He said in a much calmer voice. "I thought you like it like that. I didn't mean to hurt you"

"You didn't hurt me physically" AJ said looking up at him "Like I said I understood what I was getting into but I felt cheap-"

"You're not cheap" he cut her off before she could finish. "I just didn't know what else to say"

"How about goodbye?" she asked

"You want this to be over?" Punk asked

"Isn't it?" she questioned

"You want more" Punk said to her "You want a boyfriend"

"I just want companionship" she argued "I just want someone I can count on and trust. I'm not asking to marry you but I'm asking for some more depth."

"Ok" he said to her

"Ok?" she asked unsurely

"I can't promise anything but I will try" he said to her "This is new to me"

"Why the change of heart?" she asked curiously "Is it just because you're jealous?"

"No it's because it feels right, you feel right" he corrected.

"I feel like I'm bullying you into something you don't want" AJ admitted

"No one has ever bullied me into anything" Punk assured her "But like I said I don't know what I'm really doing here"

"Just don't leave without saying goodbye again" she said to him and he offered half a smile

"I won't" he promised

"And kiss me" She instructed. He leaned down and kissed her, pressing her further against the door.

Like most of their kisses, this one heated up fast and without losing contacts with each others lips Punk managed to pull down AJ's thong and hike her dress up while she worked on removing his pants. The sexual tension between them was undeniable and AJ could be with him forever.

Punk pulled at the straps of her dress as he lifted her so he could enter her just so he could kiss more of her flesh. AJ's legs were wrapped around his hips and her heels were digging into his ass as he moved in and out of her body. She wasn't sure why but this felt so different, so unique.

"Oh my god" she moaned as her back moved roughly against the door.

"You look so fucking beautiful" Punk muttered as he kissed over her collarbone. "You feel so good…" he said as her fingers tightened around his hair. "…I could stay in you forever"

"Yes" she moaned as she rested her head against the door. Her neck was arched and Punk took the opportunity to kiss her throat while he continued to move.

"You have to go first" he instructed but she wasn't sure why. "Fuck" he said trying to move faster.

"I'm close" she told him His one hand was still wrapped around her body to keep her steady and his other hand moved over to her clit to speed her up which it did. She climaxed almost violently against him and as soon as she did he pulled out before finding his own release. "Punk?" She asked slightly out of breath as he gently placed her on her feet. He walked over by his desk and stood over his short garbage can and began to finish himself off because he hadn't worn a condom.

"Don't" She said placing her hand over his moving arm. He looked confused as he looked over to her and she began to move her hand up and down so he could find his release.

"AJ-" he started, almost embarrassed but he came right into the garbage can with her help and looked over to her again. He watched as she took the hand that had some of his seed on her and place two fingers into her mouth. "I've never done that before" he said pulling up his pants

"You've never let a girl do that to you?" AJ asked surprised

"No wiseass" he smirked "Had sex without a condom. I'm sorry I wasn't thinking-"

"It's fine" she said as he moved over to her dress now and straightened out her dress. "Where did my thong go?" she asked looking around the room.

"Do you really need it?" Punk asked

"Yes I'm wearing a dress" AJ giggled "What if I trip in these heels and my dress rises-"

"Found them" He said reaching to the floor and handing them to her. "There's a swanky fundraiser that Elliot throws every year-"

"I know to raise money to help fill the local food banks. It's really nice." AJ said to him "I do work for him, remember?" she smiled

"Right" He grinned "It's tomorrow and I'd like you to be my date"

"You don't have to-" she started

"I want you there" he said to her "I hate these kind of events as it is but having you at my side would make it easier"

"I'll come" she said to him

"Bet your ass you will" Punk teased and she rolled her eyes at the perverse innuendo.

"What should I wear?" she asked him

"Anything as long as it covers more than this getup" Punk said eyeing her from head to toe.

"This isn't mine obviously" She said to him

"Didn't think it was" Punk replied

"You don't like the way I look?" she asked him

"I think you look great" He said to her "But you don't need all of this makeup or tight clothing." He said running his knuckles down her cheek.

"I should get back" AJ said to him "Mia and Maria are waiting-"

"I'll take you home whenever you're ready" he said to her

"Don't you have a club to run?" she questioned

"I'll take you home whenever you're ready" He repeated ignoring her question. "Don't let Maria bring anyone else up here because I was nice to the blonde guy but I won't be to the next guy" he warned.

"I'll keep that in mind" She said before walking out of the office.

* * *

The next morning AJ was woken up an hour before her phone alarm was to go off. She realized she was at Punk's place and he was on his side of the bed, he still kept that no cuddling rule in full effect but she was sure she would get him to break on that too. Her phone was vibrating and she answered in a whisper.

"Hello?" she asked quietly, careful not to wake Punk.

"Hey kid sorry to call so early" her PI Shawn told her "I'm catching a flight to New Jersey"

"I already told you to not worry about this" AJ reminded him

"I've got a hot lead kid" Shawn told her "I found a friend of your mother's" he told her "She says she has information I'm meeting her later"

"Don't go nuts" AJ said to him "Like I said some things are better left alone"

"I'm close AJ" Shawn told her "Just give me a few more days then decide"

"Ok" AJ said to him "Thanks Shawn" she then hung up.

"Who was that?" Punk asked causing her to roll over and face him.

"My PI" she said to him "He found a friend of my moms"

"That's good" he said to her "You don't seem happy"

"If my dad was a rapist I don't think I want to know him" she admitted

"You don't have to meet him" Punk reminded her "You don't have to do anything with the information you get"

"Yea I suppose you're right" she said to him "I'm just getting cold feet"

"I'll keep them warm" he grinned "You're not alone" he reminded her seriously "I'll be there for you"

"Thank you" she smiled warmly "I need to get ready for work"

"It's ok I know the boss you can sleep in" He smirked

"I can't I have to shower and go home for clothes" she said to him and he groaned in annoyance. "I don't think your father would appreciate my little red dress and high pumps"

"I wouldn't appreciate it" Punk glared at her "Alright" he said throwing his blankets off of his body. "Let's shower"

"Together?" she asked with a laugh

"Yea save on water" He shrugged then grabbed her hands and pulled her out of the bed and led her to the bathroom…


	8. One Step Forward

**One Step Forward**

* * *

"Is this ok for a fundraiser?" AJ asked stepping out of her room and into Celeste's room. She was wearing a short black cocktail dress with a pair of flats.

"It looked great" Celeste assured her "And I like your hair all wavy like that"

"Thanks" AJ said to her

"You seem happy" Celeste noted

"I'm trying to be" AJ said to her "I'm not saying this is going to last but I'd like it to last as long as possible"

"You've mentioned that Punk is pretty dominant," Celeste said to her

"Yea, what about it?" AJ asked unsurely

"I mean sexually" Celeste clarified "He calls all of the shots"

"Pretty much but I'm working on that" AJ teased "Why?"

"What if he asked you to have a threesome?" Celeste asked and AJ let out a loud laugh "Stop laughing!" she said trying to hold back her own laughter

"Randy still pushing for that, huh?" AJ asked

"More so than usual" Celeste said annoyed

"Are you really considering it?" AJ asked surprised

"I mean why not?" Celeste asked

"You'd be ok with another woman touching him?" AJ asked surprised

"What if it was something Punk really wanted?" Celeste asked

"I don't know" AJ said to her honestly "He's never said anything"

"Would you consider it?" Celeste asked

"No, I don't think so" AJ said shaking her head "I can't believe you're letting him talk you into this" she said in disbelief

"He's done it before" Celeste said to her "What's the big deal?"

"I don't know. I just don't think it's something I'd like that" AJ said to her

"Well make sure you tell Randy that because he keeps requesting you" Celeste laughed and AJ rolled her eyes.

"If you're comfortable with it then do it" AJ said to her "But if you have the slightest doubt don't"

"I'm going to have doubts" Celeste sighed.

"You could do better than him" AJ told her honestly "Be with a man that respects you and your boundaries"

"And does Punk respect yours?" Celeste challenged "It sounds very fifty shades to me…"

"Punk doesn't do anything without asking me" AJ told her proudly "He also doesn't chain me up and spank me"

"Sounds boring" Celeste laughed and that's when the doorbell rang.

"That's him" AJ said to her and she practically skipped out of the room towards the front door. AJ could feel the drool in her mouth upon seeing him standing there. He was dressed in a suit but with no tie and the top button wasn't buttoned so it showed off his colorful chest of tattoos slightly.

"Wow" he said in equal appreciation. "You look beautiful" he said stepping inside and kissing her cheek. Wearing a strapless dress and puffed out slightly.

"Thank you" AJ said shyly.

"I have something for you" he said reaching into his pocket and pulling out a red velvet box.

"What's this?" she asked

"A thank you for coming tonight" he said simply as she opened the box. Small diamond studded skull earrings.

"Oh my god I love them!" She squealed "But this is too much-"

"You're going to have to get used to this" Punk said to her simply "I like to spend money on people I care about. Don't argue every time I try to do something nice, please?"

"Ok" she said with a soft smile "I'm going to wear them tonight" she said to him as she moved to the front of a mirror and Punk pulled her hair back so it wouldn't block her ears.

"This is a lovely thank you" AJ teased as Punk kissed her bare shoulder then smoothed her hair back out.

"I also don't want you think you're cheap" Punk added and AJ frowned as she looked at his reflection in the mirror and turned around.

"What I said last night-" She started

"You said what you felt" Punk said to her seriously "Don't ever feel bad about that. I love your honesty" he kissed her forehead "Ready?"

"Yes" she said reaching for her jacket "Bye Celeste!"

"Have fun!" She shouted from her room.

* * *

Roman was outside and was clearly driving them to the big event.

"It must be nice to have your own personal driver" AJ teased

"You could have one of your own" Punk reminded her as he sat closely to her in the car.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked

"You can ask me anything you want" He said smoothly and honestly "What's on your pretty mind?"

"How do you feel about threesomes?" she asked bluntly and watched as his mouth slowly turned into a smile.

"I was not expecting that" Punk chuckled "Is that something you want?"

"Answer the question" She said firmly

"It's not my thing" Punk said to her "I don't play well with others"

"If there was an attractive woman and she asked to sleep with you and me at the same time you wouldn't even entertain the idea?" she asked him

"Like I said I don't play well with others" Punk shrugged "I don't want anyone else touching you" he said seriously "Now it's my turn to ask a question, why do you ask?"

"Celeste said Randy wants one I don't think I could ever have one but she might" AJ confided

"Randy is a real prince" Punk laughed

"He wants me to be the third" AJ smiled and Punk's smile was gone.

"Over my dead body" He said sternly

"Like I said it's not my thing" AJ reminded him "And Randy isn't really my type"

"What's your type?" Punk asked curiously

"Broody, rough, tatted up millionaires apparently" She teased

"You think I'm broody?" He asked amused

"I think you brood" she said giving it thought

"Maybe I do" He agreed. "I don't think I've been brooding as much as I used to though"

"Why is that?" she asked slyly

"Oh this little bombshell that stormed into my life" Punk said casually

"Is she pretty?" she asked

"Oh, so pretty" He said very seriously "Gorgeous, beautiful" he added

"Is she smart?" AJ asked with a smile

"Smarter than she gives herself credit for" Punk said to her

"Is she going to get lucky tonight?" AJ asked him and he looked her straight in the eyes and kept a serious face on.

"She might get lucky in the backseat of this very car" He said and she smiled wide.

* * *

Once they arrived at the ballroom Punk kept his hand on her lower back as he guided through. He introduced her to a few people as his _girlfriend _and AJ was on cloud nine. She felt like a princess tonight.

"Punk" Elliot announced as he walked over with Jennifer.

"Hey Dad, mom" he reached over to give his mom a kiss hello but she completely blew him off and pulled AJ into a hug.

"We weren't expecting you tonight!" Jennifer grinned "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked Elliot

"I didn't know" Elliot defended

"I'm sorry I should have told you Punk invited me" AJ said to him

"Don't be silly" Elliot smiled "We're delighted to see you here"

"And Phil you drove AJ here?" Jennifer asked casually. AJ picked up on the name she called him and smiled to herself.

"Yes I did" Punk smiled "AJ and I are together" He said taking her hand into his own

"Oh that's lovely" Jennifer managed to get out without trying to sound too excited. "You two make a beautiful couple"

"We get it" Punk said glaring towards his mother "Where's Mia and Devon?"

"Devon is at the table and Mia left" Jennifer frowned

"Something wrong?" Punk asked

"Remain professional" Elliot warned

"Don't tell me you let them in here" Punk said in disbelief

"It's charity I can't turn down donations like the Rollins family is offering" Elliot said to him

"He tried to turn it down. Don't let him fool you into thinking he's not as angry as the rest of them but Mia insisted" Jennifer said to him.

"Just stay on this end" Elliot suggested "Come on honey we have to mingle" he said pulling Jennifer away

"AJ we'll do lunch this week" Jennifer smiled as Elliot pulled her away.

"Maybe we should go" Punk suggested

"Don't let Seth and Paul push you out of your family event" AJ insisted "Your parents need you here" she squeezed his hand gently and he seemed to calm slightly. Punk watched as few people passed by and looked down at AJ.

"Everyone is looking at you" Punk said to her

"No they aren't" she laughed

"They are" Punk confirmed "I want to put a bag over your body and lock you away" he said wrapping his arms around her waist and nipping at her lips.

"I'm sure that would draw some attention as well" AJ giggled

"I love your laugh" he said fondly

"Hey" the annoying voice rang out.

"Just remember what Elliot said" AJ whispered to Punk. She turned to see Paul walking towards them and Punk instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her close to him. It was protective gesture one that meant a lot to AJ.

"Hi, you two look lovely" Paul smiled "Would you like to pose for some pictures?"

"I'd like you to go to your table and not talk to me" Punk said as nicely as possible

"Fine" Paul smiled "Hi AJ" he said extending his hand to her but Punk slapped it away "We're good friends" Paul frowned "We hung out at Tonic not too long ago, didn't you tell him? You might not remember with all the drinking you were doing" he chuckled

"I wasn't drinking" AJ said disgusted

"I'm pretty sure I saw you sipping on something from Seth" Paul reminded her

"He shoved it into my mouth" AJ defended and felt Punk's grip get tighter

"Don't be so dramatic" Paul smiled

"Give us a minute AJ" Punk said to his new girlfriend

"Maybe you should come with me?" AJ suggested. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "We're at table 1 I'll meet you there" he said to her and she relented and reluctantly headed towards the table.

"She cleans up nice" Paul noted

"What the fuck are you doing?" Punk asked him

"I was being nice" Paul defended "Do you want me to be rude to your new girlfriend but I will say it's awfully ballsy for you to have such a pretty thing on your arm with all these eyes. But is ironic you'd bring her here" Punk knew he was going to regret but he asked anyway,

"Why do you say that?" he asked knowing he'd hate the answer

"Bringing a charity case to a charity" he chuckled "I know all about April Jeanette Mendez from Union City New Jersey. No family, no money, no hope" Punk grabbed a fistful of Paul's shirt and tugged him close to him

"I won't warn you again about talking about her" he hissed "And you tell Seth I'll be seeing him real soon" he released Paul then walked over to the table.

He took the seat next to AJ who seemed worried.

"Everything ok?" she asked

"When I saw you outside of Tonic and you reeked of alcohol why did you lie to me?" Punk asked her

"I told you it was an accident" she defended

"No you said someone _spilt_ on you" Punk corrected "You neglected to tell me that Seth tried to pour it down your throat"

"It wasn't a big deal" she said to him "There was no reason for you to run back there and start a fight"

"Is that all he did?" Punk asked

"Yes" She said with an eye-roll "He didn't touch me or anything it's fine"

"It's not fine" Punk said to her "They did that to piss me off. This is what I meant about getting close to someone in this business"

"Are you already running for the hills?" she asked fearfully

"No" he said without hesitation "But I don't like it. This is the kind of stuff that goes down at his club which is why I asked you not to go there"

"I promised I wouldn't go back" she reminded him "Don't let Paul ruin our first date"

"I thought our first date was the Blackhawks game?" he asked with a hint of a smile

"Oh yea" she said to him "Well we weren't a couple then so this is our first date"

"Do you kiss on the first date?" he questioned

"Maybe" she blushed slightly

"Hi" Devon pointed out that he had been sitting across from them "Been here the whole time by the way"

"Oh" Punk mumbled "Devon" he greeted coolly

"Little brother" he smiled sarcastically "AJ" he said in a much nicer tone "So I take it you saw Dad let Seth in?"

"Yea I'm not too pleased" Punk said to him

"Mia ran right out of here" Devon informed him and Punk frowned

"Maybe I should call her" Punk said to him

"I tried but she'd probably answer for you" Devon said to him "Did you figure out who she is dating yet?" he asked Punk

"Nah Maria isn't talking" Punk said to him

"AJ?" Devon asked

"Even if I did know I wouldn't betray her confidence" AJ said sweetly to them.

"It just means its someone we don't like" Devon said to Punk who nodded in agreement

* * *

Later in the evening the businessmen who made the largest donations were giving speeches and all eyes were on the front. Punk was bored out of his mind and even though he knew AJ was she played the part and clapped politely for everyone.

"Let's go" he whispered in her ear

"We can't just leave that would be so rude" she whispered back but kept her eyes on the stage. AJ felt his hand move up her thigh and under dress and she jerked in surprise. "Phil" she hissed

"My hands are bored too" he told her calmly as he rested his face against one hand leaning on the table and his other casually moved around her dress.

"This is so bad" she whispered. He kissed her shoulder and then whispered in her ear again.

"Ready yet?" he asked

"Fine" she forced out. He smiled in triumph and jumped out of his seat. He walked over to Elliot and Jennifer and said his goodbyes on behalf of both of them then walked her out of the ballroom.

He opened the backdoor of the SVU and climbed in after her.

"Where's Roman?" AJ asked

"He'll come back when I call him" He said to her and then laid her across the backseat.

"Right here?" she asked him

"I told you I would" he reminded her as he unbuttoned his shirt more. AJ was excited already and kicked off her flats and tugged off her panties herself. "Every red blooded male in there wanted you like I have you. Do you have any idea how much that turns me on?" he asked as he removed his belt next.

"Show me" she encouraged. She sat up and began to unzip him but he eased her back onto the seat. "I want to" she said to him "I want you in my mouth"

"Oh sweetheart trust me I want that too" he said almost painfully "I want to have you in every way single way possible and losing it inside your mouth is at the top of the list" he said lowered his said covering her body with his now as he moved under her dress and inserted a finger into her. "But not tonight" he said kissing her jaw line "Tonight I need to lose myself this way, is that ok with you?"

"Yes" she moaned arching into his hand wanting more penetration

"I'm really liking this whole relationship thing" he informed her

"It's barely been a day" AJ teased

"And after this and counting this morning I will have fucked you four times today alone" Punk said to her as he added a second then a third finger "So tight" he remarked

"Please" she said grabbing his face so he would look at her.

"You're so close though" he smirked moving his fingers in and out of her

"I want to go there with you" she pleaded. Once she was a moment away Punk withdrew his fingers and placed a condom on himself, before entering her he moved his thumb over her clit to push right over the edge.

"Phil!" She screamed out as she climaxed. The fact that she called him by his birth name threw him off but it didn't distract him enough. As soon as she climaxed he swiftly entered her causing her to lose control again since she was still so sensitive.

"Oh yes" she moaned as he began to maneuver in and out of her body. He lifted her by the hips and fell back against the door so AJ was straddling him causing him to go in deep on her.

"Holy fuck" he groaned enjoying this new depth. They were seated awkwardly but it helped him find her sweet spot. He pushed into her and knew he had found it. "That's it" he grinned moving the hair out of her face so he could look at her. Her mouth was opened slightly and her eyes were shut tight. "Baby open those pretty eyes" he requested and she tried to. "So beautiful" he said almost in awe of her.

"You are" She said looking him with lust and glassy eyes. A few rough thrust later AJ and Punk both found their releases. AJ didn't remove Punk from her body but rested her head against his shoulder. She lifted her head and saw he was looking at her. She kissed him sweetly as he held her close and moved the kiss to the corner of his mouth and down his jaw until she rested her head again him while her arms wrapped around his neck.

"You called me Phil" he noted

"I like Phil" she said to him. "Did it bother you?"

"Only family calls me that" Punk said to her

"I'm sorry it just sort of came out" she said to him trying to sit up so she was face to face with him.

"It's ok" he said to her "You can call me whatever you want"

"Really?" she asked with a soft smile

"This is me working on the control thing" He said with a weak smile, also exhausted from the rump in the backseat. "Can I call you April?" he asked tilting his head but she shook her head.

"In one of the foster homes I was win the family wasn't that nice and they insisted on calling me April" AJ admitted "It makes me think of them"

"Ok" He said to her. "I won't do it" she kissed his lips again and this time it was her tongue slipping into his mouth. "Baby, I'm going to get hard again" he warned pulling away.

"I can go again" she smiled

"Where have you been my whole life?" he asked seriously before pulling her back into the kiss.

* * *

Later that night after dropping AJ off at home he had Roman drive right over to Tonic knowing Seth and Paul would both be there by now. He ignored the bouncer who told him not to enter the club- it helped that he had Roman standing behind him- and headed straight up the steps to his office. The club was almost an exact replica of Punk's club.

Seth was walking out his office as Punk made it to the top of the stairs.

"Hey you can't just-" Seth started but Punk grabbed him and dragged him over to the balcony and dangled him over it, only holding him by hit tie.

"If you ever pull that shit with AJ again I will drop you from here, am I making myself clear?" Punk hissed

"It was a fucking joke!" Seth yelled

"I didn't ask if it was a fucking joke!" Punk shouted. "I asked if you understood me?"

"Yes! Jesus fuck! Just pull me back up!" he yelled and Punk let him go so he could stand up straight.

"After I drop you from this balcony I'll come back and burn this entire shit hole to the ground" Punk threatened

"Relax man" Seth said annoyed "I was just trying to be hospitable"

"Keep your fucking hands and drinks to yourself" Punk warned "Next time I have to come back here I won't be so nice"

"How's Mia?" He asked before he could leave and Punk was ready to tackle him right over the balcony but Roman gabbed him

"Not here man" Roman insisted

"Let me go!" Punk yelled

"I was just asking how she is" Seth shrugged "I heard she's been hanging around bottom feeders"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Punk asked

"I think you know" Seth said disgusted "You let your own people-"

"It's enough!" Roman yelled "You don't know shit, we're leaving" he said grabbing Punk and pulling him out of the club.

* * *

The next morning AJ was headed into the office when her phone began to ring.

"Hello?" she asked

"Hey kid it's Shawn" he said in a happy voice

"Shawn how did it go?" AJ asked him

"I don't have information on your mom's past but I may have found your father" He said to her and AJ froze.

"Really?" she asked slightly out of breath.

"I'm flying in today, can we meet tonight?" Shawn asked

"Yes of course" AJ said to him "We'll meet where we met the last time"

"I should be landing by four and make it there for five" Shawn told her

"Great I'll see you then" AJ said to him before he could hang up.

AJ kept looking at the time and it felt like forever before it hit 5. Punk had called her a few times and told her he had to work so she wouldn't be seeing him tonight, she didn't bother to tell him about the meeting because she wasn't sure much would come from it. But as the time got closer she wished she had some sort of moral support.

One she arrived in the small coffee shop she saw Shawn was already there.

"Hey" AJ said smiling

"Hey" he said pulling her into a hug "You seem different" he said looking at her oddly

"I'm the same I've been" AJ shrugged

"I've known you since you were 18 you definitely seem different" Shawn said as they both took their seats. "Dare I say you look happy?" he grinned

"Maybe" she said shyly

"Does that have to do with a Mr. Brooks?" Shawn questioned

"Mr. Brooks?" AJ questioned

"Punk" Shawn clarified with a laugh "At least that's what everyone calls him. Adopted golden boy?"

"Oh" she said to him "I didn't realize he had a different last name"

"Kept it after the adoption. He didn't want people to think he was trying to get in on the Klein's money" Shawn said to her

"Have you been investigating me?" AJ asked

"No sweetheart but I do read the papers" he said holding up a local paper and Punk and AJ were photographed together at the event last night.

"So what do you know?" AJ asked

"Your mom's friend led me right to the man she swears is your father" Shawn told her

"What's his name?" AJ asked

"There's no real proof" Shawn reminded her before he continued "This is one woman's words but I tend to believe her"

"Name?" AJ asked anxiously

"Alberto Del Rio" Shawn informed her "Goes by AB" he said passing her a file

"What's he like?" AJ asked slowly opening the follow

"He's not a great guy" Shawn told her honestly "He's done time for assault, drugs, robbery- you name it he's had his hands in it"

"He lives in New Jersey?" AJ asked

"Actually Milwaukee for the last two years" Shawn told her "Has one known son, goes by Primo"

"I have a brother?" AJ asked with a smile. She wanted the bond that Punk, Mia and Devon had.

"Possibly" Shawn said to her with a shrug "Again he's a lot like AB. He did time two years ago for aggravated assault" he leaned over the table to be eye level with AJ now "They're not very good people and if you were to ask for my opinion I'd suggest you leave this alone"

"I just want to know" AJ said to him

"Know what?" Shawn questioned "What does it matter how you got here all that matters is that you're here. And believe me honey your mother didn't go through all of this trouble to keep this buried just so you could blow it right at the prime of your life" he told her in a fatherly voice. "If these guys find out that you have money they're going to leech off of you" he warned

"I don't have money" AJ snorted a laugh

"No, but your boyfriend does" Shawn reminded her "And it's not exactly a secret" he said holding up the paper again. "Think first and if you decide you want to go I want you to call me because I don't want you going by yourself" she just nodded

"No, no say it out loud" Shawn said to her

"I'll call you before I decide to do anything" AJ said to him and he smiled

"Atta girl" he said tapping her hand

"Thank you so much Shawn" AJ said to him "I don't even know how to thank you for this"

"I still have more digging to do but you're welcome" Shawn said to her.

* * *

AJ arrived at SXS a little after 7 and there was already a line to get in. She didn't understand how so many people could go out and party every night of the week. She walked right to the door and an unfamiliar guard held up his hand.

"Sorry sweet cheeks" he said with a laugh "You can't wear sneakers here" he said pointing to her shoes and she rolled her eyes "Also you have to wait in line"

"Punk doesn't mind" AJ smiled and tried to move past him but he held his arm him

"Don't make me remove you personally" the man smiled

"Woah man" Dean said with a nervous laugh "Do you know who this is?" he said moving the velvet rope so AJ could step through. "This is the boss's girlfriend"

"Oh sorry" he said feeling embarrassed "I had no idea-"

"It's fine" AJ said to him as Dean walked her inside

"He's new" Dean told her "Punk expecting you?"

"No thought I'd surprise him" She shrugged as they walked the steps up to his office together.

AJ knocked at his office door and heard his annoyed voice.

"What?" he shouted

"It's me" she said sweetly and in a minute the door was open and he was smiling.

"This is a pleasant surprise" He grinned leaning down to kiss her hello "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was bored, I missed you" she shrugged "Thought I could hang out here and play some video games"

"Knock yourself out" he encouraged nodding towards the TV. "How did it go with your PI?"

"He gave me a name" AJ said to him and Punk listened carefully "He's not a very good person, Shawn doesn't think it's a good idea I make contact"

"He's probably right" Punk said to her

"I have a brother" she said in an almost hopeful tone and Punk knew she longed for a sibling connection.

"Yea?" he asked with an encouraging smile

"Shawn doesn't think he's any good either" AJ admitted "But I might give him a call, I don't really know"

"Can you give me their names so I can look into them myself before you call anyone?" Punk asked "I'll get more information than your PI did"

"How?" AJ asked

"I have connections" He shrugged "Let me do a little digging"

"And if you don't like what you see are you going to forbid me from talking to them?" AJ questioned

"I've learned that I can't forbid you to do anything" Punk remarked "I also wouldn't forbid you from knowing your own family. I just want to help"

"Ok" she said to him "I have the files at my house I'll bring them into work tomorrow"

"Thank you" he said kissing her head but mostly getting her hair.

"Want to play Marvel vs DC?" she asked almost child like

"Yes" he chuckled and watched as she happily turned on TV and the console.

There was no sex that night just a young couple playing video games and flirting with each other the entire night. Punk was starting to think she was truly the total package he also knew she was excited to get to know her family but he would protect her from them if he had to…


	9. Red Haired Vixen

**A/N: Thank you to all of you who have reviewed! I'm glad you're like the story! Alot more to come..**

* * *

**Red Haired Vixen**

* * *

Punk was in Elliot's office going over some finances for the club. Elliot noticed he kept glancing out since the door was open towards AJ.

"You're really into her, huh?" Elliot asked amused

"Yea" Punk admitted "Worried about her actually"

"Something wrong?" Elliot asked concerned

"She found- or she thinks she found her birth father and brother" Punk told him and he nodded

"That's wonderful" Elliot said to him

"Her PI says they have a record" Punk said to him

"You can't judge people like that" Elliot reminded him

"Come on Elliot" Punk scoffed "These guys have deep criminal records and she's ready to run off and meet them. She thinks they'll throw their arms around her and welcome her into the family"

"So what's wrong with that?" Elliot questioned

"I have a bad feeling that's what's wrong with that" Punk said to him

"Why don't you call my guy at the 122 and ask him to run their names for you?" Elliot suggested

"I already did I'm just waiting on word back" Punk said to him

"She has a right to know her family" Elliot reminded him

"Her PI is convinced she's a product of rape" Punk whispered to him "Is that people I really want her around? No."

"I know you like to control things and people-" Elliot started

"I've been working on that" Punk said cutting him off

"I've noticed" Elliot smiled "She's good for you. I don't want to see you ruin it by trying to protect her when she doesn't need it. What's the worst that could happen? They reject her? She's a tough girl she'll get over that"

"Or they'll use her" Punk said to him "Google her name they'll see she has a high paying job"

"I understand your instinct to look out for her but you have to let her do this herself" Elliot said to her "Unless she asks for help back off"

"I'm not built that way" Punk said shaking his head "Besides I don't push her into anything"

"You tried to have Roman drive her home" Elliot pointed out

"And she said no and I respected that" Punk shrugged

"What she doesn't know is that Roman also takes the train, gets on the stop before her and makes sure she gets home." Elliot said to him

"How do you know that?" Punk asked

"I know everything" Elliot laughed "If she finds out she's going to be upset"

"She won't find out" he said eyeing his father

"Well I won't rat you out but again she'll catch on eventually" Elliot said to him. A moment later AJ stepped into the room and both men looked over to her.

"Sorry to interrupt" she smiled

"It's ok" Punk smiled "Hi AJ"

"Hi Phil" she blushed slightly and Elliot nearly fainted from his chair "Elliot there's a call on line 2 for you, a reporter"

"Take a message honey" Elliot smiled

"Sure" she said giving Punk one final smile before leaving the room. Punk hated to see her leave but loved to watch her walk away.

"Phil?" Elliot asked

"What? It's my name" Punk shrugged

"You only let Jennifer and my mother call you that" Elliot said to him in awe "You're deeper than I thought" he laughed "You're actually in love with her"

"Woah" He said holding his hands up "No. I've only known the girl for a few weeks"

"And yet you let her call you Phil and you don't want to be with other women" Elliot said to him

"It's been a few weeks" Punk repeated with a laugh

"And if she quit her job today and moved away?" Elliot asked

"I'd go find her" he said simply

"Because you love her?" he asked

"Because I like her" Punk corrected

"Jennifer and I met our first day of high school and I knew she was going to be my wife" Elliot said to him "We may not be blood related but I think you've gotten a lot of my qualities. When you meet the right one you just know it. I always thought Devon would be the first married out of you three kids but I guess I was wrong"

"First I love her and now I'm marrying her?" Punk asked with a chuckle "How many kids do you see in our future?"

"2" Elliot said to him "A boy and a girl" he said seriously "Jennifer and I want grandchildren"

"Jesus" he said still laughing

"I can't wait to tell her this" Elliot said pulling out his phone and began to text

"Tell her what?" Punk asked

"Oh nothing…Phil" he said typing away at his phone

"Don't call me that" Punk warned

"Right sorry" Elliot laughed

After his meeting Punk wandered over to AJ's desk and noticed the flowers.

"Secret admirer?" Punk asked taking a seat on the edge of her desk

"Maybe, jealous?" she teased

"Insanely" He laughed but he wasn't kidding. He wanted to know who sent the flowers and why.

"They're from your brother he sent them the other day as an apology for his comments at dinner" AJ said as Punk picked up the card and read it for himself.

"At least he did something right" Punk said placing the card back down "Want to accompany me to lunch?" he asked

"It's 10:30 in the morning" AJ reminded him

"So, breakfast?" he asked

"I'm having lunch with Maria today" AJ said to him and he nodded "But I'm free for dinner tonight"

"Good" Punk smiled "I'll take the night off tonight"

"Would you like to come to my place so I could cook you dinner?" she asked

"You cook?" he asked surprised

"Yes Phil I cook" she chuckled "What do you say?"

"I'm in" he grinned "I'll bring dessert- which is myself of course" he added causing her to giggle.

"Yummy" she teased and he leaned over to kiss her. She opened her eyes and pulled away "Your dad is looking at us" she whispered and Punk turned his head and watched as Elliot turned around quickly.

"He's very surprised to see me so content with a woman" Punk said to her "He'll get over it"

"And are you really content?" she asked "I know it hasn't been long but how are you feeling about this?"

"Us?" he asked and she nodded "I feel good about it, I hope you do too"

"I do" she smiled and he kissed her one last time before standing up

"What time do you want me tonight?" Punk asked her

"Eight" she told him

"I'll see you at 7:30" he teased then walked off.

* * *

AJ skipped around the kitchen as she prepared dinner. She was thankful Celeste was working tonight so she could have the place to herself and Punk. True to his word the doorbell rang at 7:30 and not 8:00 like she requested.

"Hi" she smiled giving him a kiss hello and letting him inside.

"Something smells good" he noted removing his jacket and placing a file on her counter.

"I hope you like Italian" she said to him

"My preference has changed to Puerto Rican honestly" he said wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I meant food" She smiled as he kissed down her neck sweetly

"I was right you do smell good" he grinned continuing to kiss her neck

"Do you like Italian?" she asked again trying to remain in control

"I'd like anything you put in my mouth" he whispered and she felt herself growing hot.

"Nope" she said ducking out of his grip. He just grinned and moved towards her again but she held her hands out gently pushing his chest. "I've spent an hour cooking for you and you will eat it" she warned

"Yes boss" Punk mocked lightly

"So what's that?" she asked nodding towards the file on the counter.

"That is the information on your maybe family" Punk said to her "A lot of is the stuff Shawn had already pulled up for you but there's a few more things" he saw as she looked at the closed file "Open it, read it"

"So you don't think I should meet them?" AJ asked before even bothering to opening the file

"I would prefer if you forgot this all together" Punk told her honestly "But I understand your curiosity as well" she opened the file and skimmed it, it was pretty much what Shawn had told her- bad news all together.

"There's no phone number" AJ noticed

"No and that's because no one usually land lines and I'm assuming they don't have cell phones, maybe just pre-paid cells" he said to her while studying her face. "Tell me what you're thinking" he encouraged almost nervously

"I think I want to go to Milwaukee" AJ said honestly and his stomach dropped

"Are you sure?" he asked

"No" she said to him "But I just want to see them"

"What do you think is going to happen?" Punk asked

"I don't know but I do know if I don't at least try I'll always wonder" AJ said to him

"When do you think you'll go?" Punk asked

"Maybe this weekend" she shrugged "I'll borrow Celeste's car and drive there. How far is it?"

"About an hour and a half" He said to her "I'll go with you"

"You don't have to" AJ said kindly

"I wasn't asking I was telling you I'm going with you" Punk said firmly "If you're going to do this I'm going to be there"

"If they're not good people they'll know who you are and see dollar signs" AJ reminded him

"It's not negotiable" he said simply "I'll drive you tomorrow night" he said to her

"Thank you" she said to him

"No problem" he said to her "Maybe we'll stay the night" he suggested "I'll get us a room and it can be like a weekend getaway"

"I'd love that" AJ said to him "But can you miss work?"

"I own the place" Punk scoffed "I can do what I want and what I want is to be with you" before she could respond the front door swung open. Punk looked over and saw Randy walk inside.

"Hey" Randy said to AJ then nodded over to Punk "Didn't mean to interrupt but Celeste left her gym bag here and wanted me to pick it up so we could go right after work" he said to her

"I'll go grab it" AJ said walking down the hallway and Punk watched as Randy tilted his head to get a view of his girlfriends ass.

"Do you have a problem?" Punk asked him

"Are you talking to me?" Randy chuckled pointing to himself

"I don't see anyone else here" Punk shot at him "Don't look at her like that"

"I've known AJ for a while now she knows I'm only teasing" Randy smirked

"I don't care why you do it I just want it to stop" Punk informed him "Your little threesome jokes and eye fucking my girlfriend are really starting to piss me off"

"Here you go" AJ announced passing Randy the bag

"Thanks kid" He smiled towards her and ignored Punk then walked out of the house.

"He has a key to your place?" Punk asked her

"Yea I think so" AJ said moving back over to the stove "Why?"

"I don't like him" Punk said to her

"You say that every time you see him" AJ reminded him

"And it gets worse and worse every time I see him" He said to her "He hangs around Seth too much"

"He hangs around the club" AJ corrected

"He's right up Seth's alley" Punks snorted

"Well as much as you'd like to control this too, you can't pick and choose my friends boyfriend" AJ teased

"I wish I could" He mumbled "How often is he here?"

"As often as I'm at your place" AJ said to him

"Well on nights he's here you should just stay at my place" Punk said to her and she laughed "What's wrong with my place?" he asked

"It's cold" she said to him

"What? I keep it at 76 degrees" Punk defended

"Not literally cold you goof" she laughed "It's just empty and you have no curtains in your bedroom. Unlike you I like to sleep in"

"So I'll get curtains" Punk said to her "I'll throw some paint on the walls too"

"You would change your place for me?" she asked

"Yea I mean I've already changed the way I think" He remarked sarcastically "My home shouldn't be that difficult"

"I don't want you to change for me" AJ frowned

"I want what you want" Punk said to her "If you're not comfortable in my home then I won't be either" he said to her "It's an easy fix. Jennifer has been begging me to let her decorate it"

"For someone who likes control and seemed pretty set in his ways you certainly have changed" She noted

"No I'm simply trusting you" Punk said to her

"Thank you for that" AJ said to him

"Don't thank me, just don't disappoint me" he said honestly

"I won't" she promised

"Come here" he said waving her over to where he was seated at his stool at her kitchen counter. She lowered the heat on her food and walked over to him. She knew what he wanted and wrapped her arms around his neck and began to kiss him.

"We have ten minutes" AJ warned pulling away

"I'll be nine and a half" he promised jumping out of his chair and lifting her so her legs were wrapped around his waist. He began to carry her towards the bedroom when his cell phone went off.

"Ignore it" she said to him as he dropped her onto the bed. He lifted his shirt off of his body and both could hear his phone going off again.

"Fuck!" he yelled storming out of the room leaving AJ panting on the bed. She couldn't hear what he was saying exactly but it sounded work related. He came back into the room and grabbed his shirt from the floor. "I'm sorry" he said to her

"You're leaving?" she asked sitting up

"One hour max" he assured her

"Don't go" she pleaded sitting on her knees on the bed grabbing his hand

"Less than an hour" he said to her "I'm sorry there's something they need me for at the club"

"Why can't Dean just fix it?" AJ asked

"Because it's something only I can fix" he said to her "Keep dinner warm for me-"

"Take me with you" she said to him

"I don't think that's a good idea" Punk said to her "Just hang out here"

"Please?" she asked

"Ok" he said relenting, which he found himself doing a lot where AJ was concerned.

"So what's the big disaster that only you can fix?" AJ questioned

"It's uh- a personal matter" he forced out

"Is it Amy?" AJ asked him. On their first date Punk had been called to the club when Amy started acting up.

"Let's go" he said choosing to ignore her question.

* * *

Punk arrived at the club with his hand linked to AJ's. He quickly led her past the crowd and up the steps to his office where Dean was waiting outside.

"Hey uh she's in bad shape" Dean said to him and Punk nodded

"I'll take care of it, call Roman and have him pull a car around for her" Punk said to him

"Already done" Dean said to him

"And stay here with AJ" Punk said pointing over to her then walked into his office and closed the door behind him.

"Hey converse girl" Dean smiled

"What's her deal?" AJ asked him

"She's out of her mind" Dean said with a shrug

"Why does he keep helping her?" AJ asked him

"Because it's what Punk does" Dean said to her "He doesn't give up on people that he cares about"

"He must really care about her" AJ said taking a seat on suede couch in the empty VIP area and Dean joined her

"Who? That red haired vixen? You have nothing to worry about" Dean smirked "I've known Punk a very long time and no one makes him as happy as you have"

"So what is she drunk or something?" AJ questioned

"More like out of her mind" Dean mocked "She's got a lot of demons"

"I thought she was with Seth" AJ said to him

"Nah" Dean said to her "They fucked but they're not together. He doesn't give a shit about people"

"She's always at his club" AJ pointed out

"Yea I heard you wandered in there recently" Dean noted "Not very smart of you"

"I was looking for somebody" AJ said to him "Besides Punk took me home"

"He's not being over dramatic where Seth is concerned" Dean told her in a low voice "He's bad news so is his entire place"

"So I keep hearing" AJ mumbled

"It's a front for drugs" Dean informed her "And not little things like pot and pills we're talking heavy shit" he said to her "Those are the kind of people that go there and that's why Punk doesn't want you there"

"I have no desire to be there" AJ said to him "I wouldn't even be in this club so often if Phil didn't own it"

"Phil?" Dean asked confused "He let's you call him that?"

"Yea" she shrugged

"I have to tell Mia this one" Dean laughed pulling out his phone "No one calls him Phil"

"Maybe you should go in there and check on them" AJ suggested

"Nah he's fine, they'll be done in a few minutes" Dean said texting on his phone

"Well if he's done playing hero before I get back, tell him I'm in the bathroom" AJ said to him but Dean just waved her off as he texted.

* * *

AJ stepped out of the stall and washed her hands when she heard the door open. There was Amy, she had never seen her up close before she was sure it was her. Long red hair, arms covered in tattoos.

"This is the VIP area" Amy said to her

"Yea I know" AJ said to her watching her through the mirror as she washed her hands.

"You can't be here" Amy said eyeing AJ up and down causing her to turn around "You're Punk's new bitch?"

"I prefer girlfriend" AJ replied

"I was worried but seeing you here, you can't handle him" Amy said to him

"I have no trouble handing him" AJ informed her

"Oh honey you have no idea what he's really like" Amy laughed

"I have a pretty good idea" AJ said folding her arms

"He'd break you in half" Amy said eyeing her carefully again "I'm surprised he hasn't already"

"He takes good care of me" AJ smirked

"Then you're holding him back" Amy said to her almost circling her. "A man like Punk has special needs and wants. The stories I could tell you about our times together would cause you to run for the hills" she whispered

"My sex life isn't your concern" AJ shot at the red head

"He's going to get bored" Amy informed her "If you don't let him do what he wants he will give up and move on"

"What are you talking about?" AJ asked annoyed

"I'm talking about the control" Amy said to her "He pretends it's not a big deal but it is. He's either going to get bored and find someone new or he's going to smother you and send you straight into another mans arms"

"I'm not you" AJ said to her and Amy's eyes widened

"So you've heard about me" Amy said nodding

"It wasn't good things" AJ said to her

"If you heard the good things you'd only be jealous" Amy grinned and ran her fingers down AJ's hair causing her to flinch "You are a pretty thing I'll give Punk that much but there's no way you can take him fully"

"What are you talking about?" AJ practically shouted

"I'm talking about the rough stuff, the toys, the different partners- Punk isn't a one woman man as much as he likes to paint me as the whore." Amy informed her coldly "The role play used to my favorite" she grinned "Sometimes I'd be a naughty nurse and rub him down just the right way" she smiled fondly

"What did you mean different partners?" AJ asked unsurely

"Punk used to like two women at once" Amy said to her "I used to ask for another guy but he wouldn't bend on that one" she laughed "I would have loved to have him and Seth at the same time-"

"I'm done" she said walking past Amy but she grabbed her arm

"Hey if you want to give it a try I'd gladly show you how it's done" she said then kissed AJ's cheek.

"Enough" Punk said entering the bathroom and tugged AJ away from Amy

"It's a small world" Amy smiled "Roman ready for me yet?"

"Downstairs go" He said nodding for her to leave

"Bye sweetheart" she said to AJ then looked towards Punk "Punk".

"Sorry about her" Punk said to her

"She's crazy" AJ said to him

"I know" Punk said to her "Let's get out of here" he said but she didn't move "What's wrong?"

"She said some things" AJ said to him

"Like what?" Punk questioned

"You know what? Forget it" she said then brushed past him and out of the bathroom.

"What I do?" he asked but she just ignored him. He tossed his head back and looked up at the ceiling looking for strength to deal with whatever he may or may not have done.


	10. Monster

**Monster**

* * *

Punk arrived at Klein Industries at a quarter to five to pick AJ up and take her to Milwaukee. Ever since last night she had been quiet he could only assume it had to do with whatever Amy said to her, which she still refused to discuss. Or was it something else? Punk eyed her from the lobby carefully when he felt someone walk up behind him.

"You don't need to gawk at her, she's already dating you" Devon said to Punk

"She's mad at me" Punk said looking at her still

"What did you do?" Devon asked interested with a laugh

"I don't fucking know!" He yelled out frustrated

"It's a woman thing" Devon said to him as he wrote a note at the receptionist desk.

"How can she be mad at me and not tell me?" Punk asked annoyed

"You must have done something" Devon said to him "You know how I would fix it?"

"Send her flowers?" Punk remarked sarcastically looking towards him now

"Works every time" Devon said smugly "AJ loved the flowers I sent her"

"She hates flowers" Punk informed him "That's probably why she didn't bother to take them home" Punk walked off now and left Devon cursing under his breath.

"Hey" Punk said

"Oh hey" she said putting on a smile "I'm almost ready"

"It's no rush" Punk said to her "Take your time" she moved some files around on her desk as he just frowned at her.

"Something wrong?" she questioned

"I was going to ask you the same thing" Punk sighed "Does this have to do with me are you starting to get nervous?"

"Neither" she said standing up and he reached for her jacket before she could and helped it on her.

* * *

The card ride was pretty quiet but as soon as they got into their hotel room, one that was completely over the top Punk locked the door prepared to not leave until AJ opened up to him.

"Ok" Punk said dropping their small bags to the floor

"What?" she asked innocently

"Answers- I want them" he said firmly "We're not leaving this room until I get them. I don't care if we have to stay locked up for the entire weekend or months even"

"This is crazy" She sighed not wanting to get into this

"I want to know why you're shutting me out" Punk argued "So start talking"

"It's nothing you did" AJ said to him

"So tell me what and who and I'll fix it" Punk said to her

"You can't just fix things like that" AJ said to him sadly

"Sure I can" Punk shrugged folding his arms across his chest

"Amy" AJ said to him and he figured as much "She told me about your history"

"Ok" Punk said confused

"Ok?" she asked

"Everyone has a past AJ" Punk reminded her

"Its one thing to have a past it's another thing to have a completely different lifestyle" AJ said to him "The part that bothers me is that I know you think I can't handle you"

"What are you talking about?" Punk asked her

"I'm talking about your past sexual history Phil" AJ said to him "The role play, threesomes, bondage probably-"

"Bondage isn't my thing" was all Punk said

"That's it?" AJ asked

"What do you want me to say?" Punk asked with a frustrated laugh "I was young and stupid"

"It wasn't that long ago" AJ reminded him "Why don't you want to do those sort of things with me?"

"Do I really need to spell it for you?" Punk asked surprised

"Yes you do" AJ said to him "You know I'm not fond of the threesome thing but the other stuff I can get my head around I'm sure. Unless you really want that-"

"Don't ever change who you are for me" Punk said cutting her off "I'm with you because of who you are. If I wanted to still do that stuff I'd find a way to- easy"

"Why won't you just be yourself with me?" AJ asked

"Don't you get it? For the first time in my life I am myself" Punk said to her seriously "I don't want to tie you up- I like having your hands on me, I don't want to role play because you're the ultimate fantasy, I don't want to have a threesome with you because if I ever see anyone else touch you sexually I will fucking kill them" he informed her "You're not like anyone else. You're on your own level. I did all that stuff because I was having meaningless flings. You mean more to me than that, you deserve more than that"

"Oh" was all she said feeling embarrassed.

"I think you can handle anything maybe down the road we can experiment with different things but right now I'm having fun with it just being us" he said walking over to her and could see her mood was changing into a better one.

"I feel stupid" She mumbled

"Don't feel stupid" he said sweetly brushing her hair back

"She's very convincing that's all" AJ said to him

"She's on drugs AJ" Punk said to her

"Is that why you keep helping her?" she questioned

"Yea" he said to her honestly "I'm not completely heartless I don't want to see her die and if I can help I will"

"You're a good man" she said softly "Sorry I've been a bitch"

"You haven't been a bitch" He smirked pulling her towards his body

"And thank you for coming with me this weekend" she said wrapping her arms around his body.

"I'll always have your back" he said to her.

It was only a few minutes that they were stripped and under the covers. This wasn't rough like every other time with him this was sweet and gentle. Punk kissed every square inch of her body and then moved his tongue into her hot core. She was clinging to the bed sheets and gasping for air as he worked her. His mouth was magic- she was convinced of that. She could only see his figure moving under the covers but felt every inch of him. Once she climaxed he continued to lick her clean until he eventually crawled back up her body.

"Everything about you is amazing" Punk said nuzzling her check as she caught her breath. Her small hands reached for him and she began to stroke him lovingly. He took a few minutes to enjoy the slow and torturous pace of her small hands while he kissed around her neck. She lifted her legs so her feet were flat on the bed and Punk moved her hand away from him because he was so ready for her.

"I want to know what they all mean" she said running her hands over his chest

"I want to know what yours mean" he replied then entered her completely. He didn't move an inch once inside, he kissed her passionately and nipped at her bottom lip before lowering his face to kiss her breasts. She felt him bite just above her nipple and suck on the spot knowing he was leaving a hickey but she didn't care.

"I need you baby" She moaned trying to arch her body to force him to move but he was too strong.

"I need you more" was his response. He captured her lips again and began to move ever so slowly inside of her. He wasn't sure how much time he spent inside of her but he did know he never wanted to leave.

"Phil" she moaned as her hands ran up and down his back

"Nope" he said looking at her "Never want to share you with anyone" he groaned as he moved a little quicker now. He followed her jaw line with kissed until he moved back down to her neck, he nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck while he tried not to blow right then and there.

"_I love you_" she murmured, Punk heard it but didn't respond. She was on such a pleasure high that he wasn't even sure that she knew what she had said. He had also never heard those words from anyone but his adopted family.

"Come on baby" He encouraged and thrust deeper and harder, that's all it took. She hit her climax and Punk quickly pulled out of her and spilled his seed onto her stomach before rolling onto his back. He looked over to her and saw she was still slightly dazed and smiled. He got up out of the bed and walked into the bathroom for a towel to clean her up and when he stepped out he saw her finger swipe up some of his seed and place into her mouth.

"I want this" She said to him lustfully and he groaned.

"That is probably one of the hottest things I have ever seen" He said to her as he got back into the bed and wiped her stomach. "Sorry again about this" he said to her

"Don't apologize for doing that" AJ said looking over to him "I don't mind. In a weird way it's kind of like you're marking your territory" and he let out a loud laugh

"Yea I suppose so" he agreed tossing the towel onto the floor "Marked you over her too" he said running his fingers over the bruise located on her breast..

"Maybe I want to mark you" she teased rolling onto her side so they were face to face

"Trust me honey you've marked me for life" he said to her

The next morning AJ woke up on her side of the bed and looked over to her sleeping boyfriend who was cuddling- with a pillow. She narrowed her eyes at the object and very slowly moved his arm and took the pillow from him. She smiled wickedly and placed her back against his chest and moved his arm over her body. A second later his arm was gone and he rolled over so his back was to her, clearly still asleep.

"You've got to be kidding me" she muttered under her breath.

"Huh?" a sleepy voice asked "AJ? You ok?" he asked

"Yea good" she forced out then rolled back to her lonely side of the bed.

* * *

Punk and AJ were parked outside the address that both Shawn and Punk's cop friend had given them.

"Are you sure this is it?" AJ asked looking at the bar

"Yea they probably live upstairs" he said to her. It was only twelve in the afternoon and people were drunkenly falling out of the bar that was obviously on the wrong side of town.

"Here we go" she said removing her seatbelt but Punk placed his hand on her thigh.

"Before you take another step are you sure this is what you want? You can't un-see or un-hear things" he warned her "Sometimes never knowing is better than the truth"

"We came so far" AJ said to him "I want to do this. But if you're unsure you can wait here" she said opening her car door but Punk jumped out of the car as well.

"I have this pain in my neck" he said running the back of his neck as he and AJ crossed the street to the bar.

"You should ask your other girlfriend about that" AJ replied coolly

"It's a pillow" Punk argued. AJ had told him he was 'cuddling' with the pillow in the hotel room and had dubbed the object his 'other girlfriend'. "I was sleeping on it" he laughed

"Sleeping with it" she muttered

"I didn't mean to pull away from you but I don't cuddle we've been over this" He reminded her

"Uh-huh. Maybe if I was fluffier you would" AJ said to him

"Oh" he grinned eyeing her before they walked in "I actually might like that- the more of you the better as far as I'm concerned" as soon as they stepped into the bar AJ was stunned to see someone with a cowboy hat walking towards them.

"Shawn?" AJ asked

"What the hell are you doing here?" Shawn questioned her before Punk could respond for her AJ introduced them.

"Punk this is Shawn my PI" AJ said

"Good to meet ya" Shawn said shaking his hand quickly "I told you not to come here without me"

"And here you are" AJ smiled

"You should go" Shawn to her then looked towards Punk "Get her out of here"

"Oh!" a voice yelled out and Shawn sighed then turned around "Is this her?" the man who stepped out was older, wearing beat up clothes and some battle scars.

"Nope this is a patron I was just telling her the bar isn't open yet" Shawn smiled

"Go now" Shawn said to them but AJ recognized the man from his photo it was her father- maybe.

"Alberto?" AJ asked

"This is her" Alberto smiled "Aren't you a pretty little thing?" he said playing with end of her hair slightly. Punk tensed behind her ready to rip the man's hands off. But he was trying to be good, he didn't want to upset AJ. "You're the little girl that's been digging into my life"

"I-" AJ started

"Sweetheart please" Alberto said holding up his hand "I don't know if you're here looking for money but you aint going to find any here" he informed her

"That's not what-" AJ began again but again Alberto cut her off.

"And if you're looking for a daddy you're not gonna find that either" he said sarcastically

"I just wanted to know if you knew my mother" AJ choked out

"Yes as your friend here asked me a few minutes ago I'm not good with names" Alberto laughed

"What about faces?" She asked holding out a picture of her mother.

"Oh yea" Alberto smiled taking the picture from her "Young thing. Ran away from home- I picked her up when I used to drive trucks. She was very sad, very vulnerable"

"You don't remember her at all do you?" AJ asked

"No I wouldn't forget this one" Alberto smiled tapping the picture with his finger then looked up at AJ "You kind of look like her- only shorter. How old are you? You must be 23 or so?"

"24" AJ replied

"She was a virgin before I got through with her" Alberto winked at then eyed her up "You could be my kid" he said to her "You actually look a little bit like my mother"

"Wow well I'm glad we got this all cleared up" Shawn laughed. "We're going to go now" Shawn placed his hand on AJ's lower back and began to guide her out of the bar but a firm hand gripped her arm.

"I'm not done with her yet" Alberto said then he felt something tight over his own wrist.

"Take your hand off of her" Punk warned

"Are you my kid too?" Alberto asked with a laugh

"No I'm the guy who is going to rip off your own arm and beat you with it if you touch her again" Punk warned and Alberto loosened his grip on AJ.

"What's your name sweetheart?" Alberto asked AJ

"It's not important" AJ said to him

"It is. How else will I send you a Christmas card?" he asked with a laugh.

"We should go" Shawn said again but this time to Punk

"It's April" AJ said

"April" he said almost coldly. "Well April I understand you are looking for a father but I can't say what your mama was up to after me" he said coolly "But you're a cute little thing I'm sure many men would jump at the chance to tuck you in at night" he smiled. Punk's face grew red as he rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck and began to slowly count in his head to remain calm but he was getting to the breaking point. "Having your PI and whatever cop friend you have looking into my files has put unwanted attention me and if I get fucked over because of a curious little child who couldn't mind her own fucking business I will-"

"Do _not_ finish that sentence" Punk warned cutting him off.

"Can't you see I'm having a private conversation my little girl here?" Alberto chuckled "Look Shawn here filled me in and I get your mom off'd herself and you grew up alone but take that as hint- if your own mother didn't want to know you why would I?" AJ was so taken back by the words she wasn't sure how to react.

"Let's go" AJ said to Punk and Shawn, she turned and walked right out of the bar without looking back.

"Come on" Shawn said to Punk but he was in a stance ready to strike.

"You wanna go at me kid?" Alberto challenged then smiled "Do I know you? You look awfully familiar"

"Now" Shawn said trying to push Punk out of the bar.

"You own this dive bar?" was the only thing Punk asked him

"That's right" Alberto grinned proudly

"Good to know" Punk smirked then walked out of the bar.

* * *

AJ didn't speak the entire time in the car and rushed into the room once they arrived. Punk knew this could happen he just wished she didn't have to go through all of that.

"AJ" he said as she crawled onto the bed "Want to talk about it?" but she didn't respond he just heard her sniffle and tried to hide her tears from him. His heart was literally breaking for her. "I'm going to make a phone call I'll be right back" he assured her before stepping out of the room completely.

A few minutes later AJ heard the door open and close again and could hear Punk move around the room and discard his jacket. The next thing she felt was the bed move and then felt his arms around her as he pulled her back close to his chest.

"You don't have to" she sniffled

"I want to" he said holding her. After a minute of cuddling- something he felt he would never do he broke the silence again "This isn't so bad" he said to her

"He's horrible" AJ said

"I know" Punk said softly

"How could I come from someone like that?" AJ asked

"My dad wasn't all that much better and I think I turned out ok" he said to her "You were lucky you didn't have grow up with him. Maybe growing up in the system was a blessing in disguise"

"I'm starting to think that too" AJ said sadly "I always had these dreams of what my father was like" she confided "When I was in elementary school I told the other kids my dad was a soldier" she said to him "Then in middle school he was firefighter and in high school he was a navy seal. I used to think he was some hero that wasn't with me because he was off helping other people but he's just some terrible man"

"He's not your dad" Punk said to her "A father is someone who takes care of you, loves you, supports you. It's not about blood it's about heart and clearly he doesn't have one."

"I never had a father figure" AJ reminded him "He's kind of all I've got"

"You've got me" he reminded her kissing her shoulder

"You know what I mean" she said to him "I wonder what my brother is like"

"I don't know but I'm sure the apple doesn't fall from the tree" Punk said to her

"You were right" she said to him "Something's are better off left alone"

"You did what you had to and now you know" Punk said to her "It doesn't change anything, doesn't change what an amazing woman you are. Your mother is the real hero. She made sure he couldn't get to you as a kid and now you understand why"

"I miss her" AJ choked out full on crying. "I wish she was here"

"I know" he said running his hand up and down her arm in an attempt to sooth her.

"I don't remember much and I still don't think she liked me that much but she wasn't like him" AJ said to him "The world took her from me and left me with a monster"

"There are no such things as monsters" Punk said to her "Just shitty people"

"He was pretty damn close" AJ said to him "The way he spoke to me and looked at me-" she felt a shiver run down her spine

"You never have to see him again" Punk assured her "You can try to forget this ever happened"

"Thank you for being with me" she said curling into him more causing him to smile lightly- _cuddling really wasn't that bad_, he thought to himself "I don't know what I would have done with you"

"You never have to wonder" Punk promised

"I know you wanted to go out tonight and enjoy the getaway-" she started

"I can lay here like this with you until we have to leave" Punk said cutting her off "Whatever you want"

"I want this" she said to him "I just want you"

"You've got me" and he meant that more than anything.


	11. Looking For Answers

**Looking For Answers**

* * *

They drove back to Chicago on Sunday night and Punk begged her to stay with him and he'd get her to work the next morning but she just wanted to go home and forget this weekend ever happened.

"I'm sorry" Celeste frowned as she listened to AJ's story about her birth father "But look at the bright side, you won't have to see him ever again"

"Yea" AJ mumbled "I'm so mortified Celeste" she admitted

"Why?" Celeste questioned

"Phil comes from this amazing family. He has money, class- and then there's me" AJ said to him "It s was bad enough I was a poor foster care kid but now I take him to meet my dad and that was worse than anything"

"I don't think it changes how he feels about you" Celeste said to her "Besides I don't think he cares where you come from."

"I care" AJ said to her "I feel so little in comparison."

"Oh stop" Celeste said to her "You're amazing and honestly he's lucky to have you not the other way around. You've done pretty well for yourself. Despite no family or support you put yourself through school, you have a pretty bad ass apartment and you are fiercely independent" she pointed out "You also have one of the biggest hearts of anyone I have ever met"

"Let's say we stay together and I go to more events with him and stuff I would never fit in" AJ said to her

"Stop second guessing yourself" Celeste warned "You said he was amazing when you were so upset about your father"

"He was more than I ever imagined" AJ said with a soft smile

"Then the other stuff doesn't matter" Celeste said to her "Stop thinking about stupid stuff like that and just focus on closing this chapter of your life for once and for all"

"I was hoping I'd get some answers as to why my mom killed herself but I suppose I'll just have to accept that's not going to happen"

"Meeting your biological father should be a prime example as to why some things are better left undiscovered" Celeste warned

* * *

The next day AJ went to Punks before she met up with Mia and Maria at the club. He told her he had to show her something it couldn't wait until after the club.

"So what's so important that you had to bring me here right now?" AJ asked as Punk pulled her into his place by her hand. She was smiling and actually really excited.

"Close your eyes" he said before fully entering the place

"Oh come on" she giggled but he placed his hands over her eyes and walked her into the place when he removed his hand she laughed. "You got a picture!" she said happily

"I'm trying to warm up the place" He smirked "It's a painting of the first Batman comic cover art"

"Yes I know" She said to him "That's an awfully big step for you- I'm proud'

"Wait there's more" Punk said pulling her up the steps and into his bedroom.

"Still no curtains" She smirked "It's ok you don't need them"

"No wait" he said pressing a button and something retracted to cover the windows. "This way I can have my open windows but when you're here you can sleep in all day if you wanted"

"That's so sweet" She said feeling herself get choked up by the small but very significant gesture. "I love it"

"Good" Punk smiled "Because there's one more surprise" he opened his huge walk in closet which was really more like a small apartment and pointed to the empty space "This space if for you" he said to her

"You're giving me closet space?" AJ asked him surprised

"Yea I mean you're here a lot as it is and I want you to be here even more" Punk shrugged "I don't need all the space anyway"

"Thank you" she turned and pulled his face down to kiss her. "This was so sweet and just what I needed. But are you sure you don't mind the changes?"

"Actually no I don't" he said to her "I'm surprised I don't but I don't. I want your stuff here, I want you here more" he said grabbing her hands and raising one hand up so he could kiss her hand.

"When you want something you're pretty convincing, huh?" she teased

"Don't let my hot exterior confuse you, I'm still a business man" he grinned

"Clearly" she snorted he leaned in to kiss her but she turned her face away and he frowned "I have to get ready"

"You have time" Punk said kissing down her neck which meant he wanted more

"No I don't" She laughed "You also have to be at work" she reminded him

"Yea I guess" he groaned looking at his watch

"Maria and your sister gave me an outfit for tonight" AJ said to him "They heard I had a bad time Saturday and decided to cheer me up, wasn't that sweet?"

"So sweet" Punk forced out "But you look fine" he said gesturing to her gray suit.

"The club has a dress code" AJ reminded him with a laugh

"The owner said you could wear anything you want" Punk said to her

"The last time I went there to surprise you the bouncer again almost didn't let me in" AJ informed him

"Who?" Punk asked narrowing his eyes

"So you could fire him? Nope not telling" AJ smirked

Punk was in his room buttoning up his shirt when AJ stepped out of the large closet.

"Isn't it cute?" AJ asked him. She was sporting black shorts that he was sure was actually painted on her and a matching thick strapped black tank top and the most adorable chucks he had ever seen. It was fancy enough for his club but casual enough for her. "Well, do you like it?"

"I can't judge it until I see the rest of it" Punk said tapping his chin

"This is the rest of it" she giggled

"There's no pants" he said confused

"They're shorts!" she laughed.

"It's cold" he noted

"You'll keep me warm" she responded and his eyes lit up.

"I take it back it looks great" he smiled. She was also wearing her hair long and straight and he could see the diamond earrings he purchased for her on her ears. Actually he was pretty sure she had never taken them off.

"I actually got you something too by the way but with all the excitement with all of my presents it slipped my mind" she said to him walking over to her purse

"You don't have to buy my anything" Punk said to her

"Well I didn't buy it" she smirked then handed him a small box. He opened it and gave her half a smile. "I know it bothers you that Randy has a key to my place so I wanted you to have one too. Even though I'm sure if you wanted in bad enough you'd find a way in"

"That is true" Punk said very seriously. "I appreciate this very much" he said holding up the key "No one has ever given me a key to their home before and it's going to be so much easier to crawl into you bed at night"

"I thought you hated my bed" AJ reminded "It was too small"

"I suddenly find myself wanting to be in close quarters with you" Punk said to her

* * *

Once at the club Punk was downstairs dealing with some business while AJ, Mia and Maria hung around upstairs.

"Did Punk like your outfit?" Maria asked

"Not at first but he's ok with it" AJ teased

"He's so crazy protective" Mia said to her "I'm surprised he didn't jump your dad"

"Can we not call that scum my dad?" AJ asked

"Right of course" Mia said brushing it off

"And right now I really don't want to think about any of it" AJ admitted

"Here" Maria said passing AJ a drink

"I don't drink" she reminded her for the hundredth time

"Just have one drink I promise you'll forget all about your crappy weekend" Maria assured her

"And it's really good you don't even taste the alcohol" Mia agreed

"Fine" AJ sighed taking the drink from them and drinking it

"See? It's good" Mia said to her

"And honestly? Drunk sex is the best" Maria said seriously "Especially with Punk"

"Punk doesn't drink" AJ frowned

"No but I do and I used to be wild" Maria smiled "I think he liked that actually."

"Really?" AJ asked unsurely

"Don't force her into drinking that way" Mia warned Maria

"Didn't you and Dean get drunk and have sex on a park bench a few weeks ago?" Maria asked

"You didn't!" AJ laughed

"Dean and I both like to party" Mia shrugged

"You could have been caught" AJ said stunned "What if the police arrested you!"

"That's the exciting part" Mia winked

"Punk doesn't like sex in public places though" Maria said seriously to AJ

"No?" AJ asked taking mental note, she always learned so much about Punk from Maria who freely shared their private details. It sometimes bothered AJ that Maria had shared a past with Punk but she knew Maria wasn't a threat.

"Hates it" Maria confirmed "Thinks it's trashy. He's old school that way"

"I guess his office doesn't count as a public place?" AJ asked "Or the backseat of his SVU?"

"Too much sex talk involving my brother" Mia said disgusted

"All closed and locked doors" Maria said to her

"Hmm" AJ said giving it thought sipping on the drink Maria had given her.

* * *

Dean was outside working the door with Roman tonight. Monday's were packed in here and the extra security was necessary. A young Spanish man approached the front door and attempted to get in.

"Woah where are you going?" Dean asked with a laugh

"Inside" the man said slowly as if Dean was stupid

"There's a line, a cover charge and a dress code" Dean informed him

"I won't be there long I'm just looking for someone" the man said

"Nope sorry" Dean smirked "You have two minutes to get out of here before my friend Roman throws you in the street"

"Wait just tell me if she's in there" he said reaching into his jacket and pulled out a cut out photo from the newspaper- it was AJ from the big fundraiser.

"Why are you looking for her?" Dean asked eyeing the man

"It's personal" the man said to him "Is she in there?"

"A lot of women are in there" Dean grinned

"I'm only interested in this one" the man said holding up the photo again

"If you tell me why you're looking for her I'll tell you if she's in there or not" Dean reasoned

"I think she knows my father Alberto" Primo said to him "She went to see him on Saturday"

"Hey Roman" Dean said waving him over "This girl look familiar to you?" he asked holding up the photo of AJ

"Nope" Roman said simply

"Sorry man" Dean said passing him the photo

"I was told I could find her here tonight" Primo argued

"And who told you that?" Dean asked tilting his head curiously

"Some guy who was at her apartment" Primo said "It's really important I talk to her"

"I'm sure it is" Dean said to him "You know what? I'll ask the owner if he's seen her" he said taking the photo from Primo "You got the door Roman?" and he nodded

"Can't I just go in and take a look around?" Primo asked

"No you can wait out here" Dean instructed.

* * *

"What did you do?" Punk asked glaring towards Maria and Mia.

"What?" Mia asked offended

"Is she drunk?" Punk asked referring to his girlfriend who had been giggling for ten minutes straight

"No she had two drinks only I swear" Mia said trying to hold back her own laughter

"I'm ok, seriously" AJ laughed standing up "See?" she said standing in front of him

"They're bad influences" Punk said to her

"We're not deaf" Maria said to him

"Hey how about you take a break" AJ whispered leaning into his chest and looking up at him

"And do what?" Punk asked trying not to laugh at her

"Me" she said simply and he tried not to react "Your office desk seems pretty sturdy…"

"I can afford to take fifteen minutes" Punk said with a smile pulling her towards his office

"How about half an hour?" she questioned

"I can take two breaks in that time" Punk said causing her to laugh.

"Hey wait!" Dean shouted just as Punk and AJ were going into the office

"Handle it I'm busy" Punk said to him

"No man trust me" Dean said to him "There's a problem at the front door"

"Have Roman take care of it" Punk said desperately wanting to get AJ naked and on his desk.

"I think you'll want to handle this yourself" he said then held up the picture knowing Aj was leaning into Punk's chest and couldn't see.

"Are we going?" she asked kissing just under his jaw

"Uh- yea I just need five minutes" he said to her "Go sit with Mia and Maria and do not drink anymore" he added the warning but she just giggled and headed back over to them

"There's a guy out there says AJ went to his father on Saturday and wants to talk to her" Dean whispered

"Did you tell him she's here?" Punk asked

"No but he said some guy at her place told him he would find her" Dean said to him

"Randy" Punk muttered "He still downstairs?"

"Yea he wants to come in and look around" Dean said to him "I know you mentioned AJ had a bad run in on Saturday I didn't want to let him in. I actually told him to get lost but he won't go"

"I'll handle it" he said taking the photo from Dean.

* * *

Punk walked outside and recognized the man from the photos he had pulled up on AJ's family. He walked towards him and handed him back the picture.

"Are you the owner?" Primo asked

"That's right" Punk said to him

"You're also the guy in the picture" Primo said to him "I need to speak to the woman in the picture"

"No you don't" Punk informed him "Go back from wherever you came from and don't come back here"

"I have questions for her" Primo insisted

"What kind of questions?" Punk asked folding his arms

"They're personal" Primo shot at him "It's not really your business"

"She's my business" Punk informed him "And if you're anything like your father I don't want you near her"

"My dad is a good man" Primo defended "And after she came by to see him he's been all out of sorts I want some answers. I want to know why she's digging into my family"

"Ask your charming daddy" Punk remarked sarcastically

"I'm asking you" Primo said not backing down "You don't have to let me in here but I'll just wait at her place then" he said to him "Or I'll go to her job. It's amazing the things you can find on the internet" he informed Punk who just eyed him "You can make this easy and step aside or you can make this difficult and waste my time"

"I like things difficult" Punk said to him "And if I see you hanging around her place or showing up at her job I'll have you taken out" he said to him

"You can't have me arrested for asking questions" Primo spat

"Who said anything about cops?" Punk asked innocently "I know in Milwaukee you're some big shot scumbag but Chicago is my city" Punk informed him

"I just want to some answers" Primo said to him again

"Like I said, talk to your father" Punk said to him "And don't come back here again. Forget her- do you understand me?"

"Whatever man" Primo said shaking his head and walked away

"Want me to follow him?" Roman asked Punk

"No I think he got the hint" Punk said to him "But I do want you to drive by AJ's place later and make sure he isn't lurking there. I'm taking her back to my place but I don't want him there anyway"

"No problem" Roman said to him

"Nice guy" Dean remarked sarcastically

"Prince fucking charming compared to his dad" Punk said to him "If he comes back here let me know and under no circumstance does he get in" he warned and Dean nodded

"Of course" Dean said without hesitation

"I'll be upstairs in my office make sure no one comes in" Punk said to him

"Oh if you're looking for converse girl to join you, she's on the dance floor" Dean said to him

"What?" Punk asked with an annoyed sighed "She doesn't fucking dance- Maria and Mia are poisoning her against me"

"They're trying to get her to have a good time and forget about her fucked up family" Dean argued

* * *

Punk walked inside and saw his sister dancing with Maria and made his was through the crowd. AJ's hair was flowing as she moved around the dance floor and Punk felt himself getting hard just watching her move. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"My boyfriend will kick your ass" she teased

"Yes he would" Punk agreed and AJ turned around in his arms

"Everything ok outside?" she asked

"Yea" Punk said looking down at her "Still drunk?"

"Two drinks" She had holding up two fingers "Wanna dance?"

"I don't dance" Punk said to her "I was hoping you'd join me on my break" he smirked

"Take me out back" she said to him in a whisper

"Sorry?" he asked confused

"Take me out back" she repeated

"Ok" Punk said unsurely and pulled her off the dance floor and out the back exit door. "Is there a reason you wanted-" he started but AJ pushed him into the brick wall and attacked his mouth. Punk wasn't sure what she was doing but he was sure he liked it.

"Babe-" he started as he pulled away but AJ didn't, she began to work on his belt "Not here" he said grabbing her hand

"Why?" she asked with wide doe eyes

"I don't have sex outside" Punk smirked

"So I've heard" she said to him and he rolled his eyes

"I think you should start hanging out with other people" Punk said seriously and she giggled

"Take me out here" she said to him

"Anyone could walk by" Punk said to her

"So?" she asked kissing his neck

"It's dirty" he added and she just hummed against his skin "It's cold out-" AJ's hand went right under his pants causing him to hiss slightly

"I want you" She whispered, obviously the alcohol was making her slightly braver "Right here…and now"

"Fuck" he hissed pulling her hands out of his pants and began to remove his belt himself "I don't know what it is about you" it sounded like he was scolding himself "You make me question everything" he said tugging at her extremely tight shorts.

Within in a minute her legs were wrapped against his waist and her back was pressed to the brick wall.

"This is going to be really quick" he warned her and before she could respond he was inside of her. AJ smiled in triumph as he moved roughly into her body.

"Oh yes Phil" she moaned in delight as he gave her exactly what she wanted

"And you accuse me of being the kinky one" Punk mumbled as he hit into her body again causing her cry out "Sex outside, cuddling- you're the kinkiest person I have ever met"

"Cuddling isn't kinky" she rasped out as her nails dug into his shoulders through his t-shirt.

"A hundred places I could fuck you- you pick outside" he said in disbelief. He complained through out the entire process but never stopped.

"It's so good though" She smiled as her back hit against the brick. She looked down at him as he looked up to meet her eyes and she kissed him in hopes of shutting him up so he could just enjoy himself...

* * *

Once back in the club Punk led AJ back to her seat where Maria was waiting.

"Where did you two go?" Maria asked

"Nowhere" she said as Punk kissed the top of her head and headed into his office

"Your shorts are on backwards" Maria said nodding to them

"Shit" She hissed looking down to see she was in fact right.

"Don't even tell me you two….outside?" Maria asked

"I don't kiss and tell" AJ said to her smugly

"He breaks all of the rules for you" Maria said to her "Told you those few drinks would be worth it"

"I don't think the drinks had anything to do with it" AJ said to her

"Hurry and change your pants" Maria said to her

"I can't change right here" AJ laughed

"No one is looking" Maria said to her

"I don't…." she started then whispered "I don't have any underwear on" she whispered

"To save Punk some time?" Maria asked seriously

"He took them as punishment for making him have sex outside" AJ frowned and she let out a loud laugh. "Where did Mia go?"

"She snuck off with Dean" Maria shrugged

"They should really tell Punk" AJ said to her

"Punk will flip out and kill Dean" Maria said surely

"He's going to find out eventually and when he does it's not going to be just Dean he kills" she whispered "He's going to know that I knew"

"It's fine" Maria assured her "He'll get over it at some point but Mia and Dean aren't even that serious they're just having fun. No point in upsetting Punk for no reason"

"I guess" AJ said to her

"So have you two dropped the L word yet?" Maria asked

"I said it" AJ admitted

"And he didn't say it back?" Maria frowned "I'll kick his ass-"

"I'm mortified don't bring it up to him" AJ said to her "It was during sex- I don't even think he heard me"

"Oh" Maria said understanding her "But do you?"

"Love him?" AJ asked and she nodded "Yes" she said with a shrug "How could I not? He's sweet, caring, protective and he's taken such good care of me. No one in my life has ever put my feelings first" she said to her

"So tell him" Maria encouraged

"I don't want to scare him off" AJ said to her "Everything is so perfect right now that I don't want to risk losing him" she admitted

"Well what if he never says it?" Maria asked

"I'm not looking for marriage or anything like that" AJ said to her "If we spent the rest of our lives just dating and hanging out like this I'd be very happy"

"You're going to want more at some point" Maria warned "All women do"

"I'm not most women" AJ reminded her "Besides it's been like a month I think we're moving at perfect pace" she said to her

"If you say so" Maria shrugged sipping on the straw of her drink

AJ looked towards Punk's office and could see the blinds pulled up so he could have visual on her. He was clearly playing a game but caught her glance and shot her a wink, she responded with a sweet smile. There would be no way she'd risk blowing this over scaring him off.


	12. Making Me Crazy

**Making Me Crazy**

* * *

The next morning AJ slowly came to. She looked up at the time and saw she still had an hour before she had to start getting ready for work. She felt Punk's strong arms wrapped around her body and couldn't believe someone who hated cuddling before did it so freely now. She wanted to surprise him with breakfast but he had a death grip on her body and when she started to get out of the bed, he pulled her tighter against him.

"No" Punk grumbled against her hair curling into her further

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked

"For you" he responded

"Are you horny 24/7?" she asked with a laugh

"Yes" he responded honestly

"I'm hungry" she whined "I want to eat before work"

"So rest now and I'll take you out" Punk said to her

"I can cook" she reminded him "Let me cook for you"

"Ugh" he groaned releasing her.

"Pancakes?" she asked

"Sure" he said to her and watched as she put on a pair of his boxers and one of his t-shirts but before she could leave he spoke again "Good luck finding pancake mix or anything else to help you cook breakfast" and she stopped just short of walking out the door and turned to look at him

"What do you have in your castle for breakfast?" AJ asked him

"I have coffee, milk and some old bread" he said with a smile

"How do you live off of that?" AJ asked disgusted

"I eat protein bars for breakfast and I'm never home for lunch or dinner" Punk shrugged

"I need to stock your kitchen" She said to him

"It would be a waste" he informed her turning to lay on his back

"Don't' you want to wake up to the smell of hot breakfast?" she teased crawling onto the bed and over him.

"I'd rather just wake up to you" Punk informed her seriously

"You need food" she frowned

"Nah you'll do just fine" he said casually and let her give him a sweet kiss on the lips "Good morning" she said smiling at him

"Yes it is" he agreed even though she wasn't asking a question "Go get dressed and I'll take you out to breakfast" he said to her

"Are you sure?" she asked and he nodded. He watched as she excitedly jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom. He couldn't deny his mornings were a lot brighter with her.

* * *

"Good morning" Elliot smiled as he entered the office and saw AJ at her desk and Punk sitting on the edge of it.

"Morning" AJ smiled

"Can I borrow Romeo for a few minutes?" Elliot teased

"You can keep him" She said to him

Punk followed Elliot into his office and closed the door behind him.

"So why was the building's security handed out this picture this morning?" Elliot asked passing Punk a photo of Primo.

"He's AJ's brother" Punk said to him

"And?" Elliot questioned

"She went to meet her dad over the weekend and he's worse than I thought he would be" Punk said to him and Elliot rolled his eyes

"I'm not over reacting" Punk argued "You should have seen the way he was looking at her and the things he said…fucking disgusting"

"Ok, ok" Elliot said to him "But what's wrong with her brother?"

"Showed up at my club last night trying to get in. Said he'd follow her home or to her job. I don't want him in the building" Punk said to him

"Alright I just wanted to know" Elliot said to him "So this was in Milwaukee right?"

"Yes" Punk said to him

"So is that why you called in a few favors and had the health inspector shut down some random bar?" Elliot asked him

"Maybe" Punk said innocently

"You should have just left it alone" Elliot sighed "You'll only piss of her family now"

"Fuck them" Punk spat "I don't care who I piss off. He's lucky I didn't break his neck after the shit he said"

"That bad huh?" Elliot asked

"Yea" Punk said quietly "She's a sweet girl she didn't deserve that shit. She just wanted to know her family"

"Does she know her brother was looking for her?" Elliot asked

"No" Punk said to him "And don't give me that look they're bad I can smell it from a mile away"

"You should at least tell her" Elliot suggested

"She doesn't have to know" Punk disagreed

"She not only has a right to know but if he's here looking for her there is a chance he will find her. She should really look out of herself" Elliot pointed out

"He's not going to find her" Punk said with a laugh

"You can't be on top of her every minute of every day" Elliot said to him "And you can't have Roman watching her constantly"

"It's what he gets paid to do" Punk argued

"Tell her" Elliot instructed "Does she know about your parents?" he questioned

"She knows my mom is dead and my dad is gone" Punk shrugged

"Does she know that your dad is in prison? You more than anyone could relate to her" Elliot said to him

"You and Jennifer are my parents" Punk said to him "And I wish I had someone like me to protect me from knowing them."

"I still think you should tell her" Elliot sighed "Oh and bring her over to dinner again soon. Jennifer is asking me and I'm pretty sure she's getting antsy enough to just show up at your place unexpectedly" he warned

"It's best if she doesn't" Punk said with a nervous chuckle

"Yea I tend to agree" Elliot said to him "So tell me son, where is this going?" he asked taking a seat at his desk

"This again?" Punk asked

"She's not like Amy or Maria" Elliot reminded him "She's wife material. She's not going to be satisfied by hanging out in your bedroom every night"

"I doubt that" Punk smirked but Elliot shot him look "What do you want me to do? Marry her? I've been with her a few weeks. And I'll have you know I gave her closet space at my place"

"That is a big step for you" Elliot agreed "So have you admitted you love her yet?"

"I don't do that mushy crap" Punk chuckled

"So you do love her?" Elliot asked

"Why do you have to know this?" Punk asked

"Because we're planning our winter vacation and I want to know if you want AJ included" he replied innocently "I don't think you should bring someone you don't love with you on such a big vacation"

"I want her there" Punk mumbled

"What was that?" Elliot asked seriously

"I want her there! Ok are you happy now?" Punk asked annoyed

"Yes" Elliot grinned "Jennifer will be so pleased and I'll make sure HR knows to give AJ the time off"

"When is it?" Punk asked

"Two weeks" Elliot said to him "You should probably ask her first" he smirked

"She'll be there" Punk said to him

"Still controlling, I see" Elliot said coolly picking up his messages and looking over them

"I'm doing so much better" Punk defended

"Well I would inform her about her brother if you want her to stay with you" Elliot said to him "No secrets- that's been mine and Jennifer's policy and I think we've done alright"

"I'll see" Punk said to him "That all?"

* * *

Punk had thought about it all day and Elliot was right, he didn't want anything between himself and AJ and decided to surprise before she left work. She was actually relieved to see him since it was now pouring in the City.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" AJ smiled as she stepped outside the office.

"I wanted to persuade you to come to work with me today" he smiled greeting her with a sweet kiss.

"As appealing as that sounds I'll pass" She smirked as he grabbed her hand and walked her to his car.

"There is something I want to talk to you about" Punk said opening the door for her to get in.

"Something wrong?" she asked fearfully

"No not at all" He said giving her a warm smile "But there's something you should know"

"What is it?" AJ asked him "You can tell me anything"

"I know" he smirked "Look last night Alberto's son came to the club and he was looking for you" she was surprised by this to say the least.

"And what happened?" AJ asked

"I told him to get lost" Punk told her "He went to your place first and I guess Randy told him you'd be there. He knows where you work too"

"What did he want?" AJ asked

"I don't know" Punk shrugged

"You just made this very important decision about my life without even discussing it with me?" AJ questioned hurtfully

"It wasn't like that" Punk argued "I was looking out for you, protecting you"

"You were controlling me" She corrected

"No" he shook his head "Protecting you- big difference"

"You know what this means to me" AJ said sadly

"I know what it meant to you" Punk said to her "But after you met Alberto I thought you didn't want to know anymore"

"I would have liked to have at least had the option" AJ said to him "And this was him seeking me out not the other way around. Clearly he wanted to know"

"AJ he's a piece of shit" Punk shot at her "Just like his father"

"My father" She corrected "So does that make me a piece of shit too?"

"No" Punk said trying to remain calm "But I wasn't going to stand there and watch you fall apart again"

"It wasn't up to you to decide!" AJ yelled "And how do you know I would have been upset?" she asked him "You probably scared him off!"

"Hopefully" He said to her

"This is my life" she argued "This is something I've been trying for since I was a little girl! And you just blew it for me!"

"I did what I know is right and I wouldn't take it back" Punk said to her and that's when she opened her door and stepped out of the car. "Where are you going?" Punk asked getting out of the car himself and slamming his door closed. The rain poured on them as he followed her.

"Home" She said folding her arms and crossing the street.

"AJ don't walk away from me!" he yelled out and followed her across the street and gripped her soaking arm.

"Let go of me!" She yelled trying to pull away but he dragged her back to the car.

"Get in the car" he said opening her door

"No" she said to him

"AJ" he warned biting on his lower lip "Can't you just do anything I tell you to do?"

"I'm not one of your employees" She reminded him "I am a person with feelings Phil!"

"Yes I understand that" he mocked lightly "Just get in the car"

"No" she said slamming the door closed again

"Damn it AJ why are you so fucking difficult!" he yelled loudly

"I'm simple! You're the difficult one!" she yelled back "You have this insane need to control people like puppets and it's cute at first but suffocating after a while!"

"I just want you to be happy!" Punk yelled "I know what's best for you!"

"You don't even know me!" she shouted

"I know you" he said in a softer voice "I know you better than anyone and I've only actually known you for a few weeks"

"Exactly! How dare you stake claim in such an important aspect of my life like that!" she yelled "I'm going to meet him whether you like it or not!"

"No" He said firmly shaking his head

"You can't tell me 'no' I am not some dog!" she bit back

"You're mad at me? Fine!" he screamed causing her to flinch "Be fucking mad but don't do anything stupid! You're smarter than this!"

"I'm going home- by myself" she informed him coldly but he stepped in her way "Just leave me alone" she said in a defeated tone

"I can't" he said simply "Believe me if I fucking could I would. You've completely turned my world upside down and changed everything! I liked the way I was before you! I didn't ask for you!"

"I never asked you to change!" AJ yelled back

"But I have" he said coldly

"Well you can go back to your meaningless flings and raunchy orgies then." She said turning away but he grabbed her arm again

"I don't fucking want any of that anymore" he said to her "All I want is you! I just want you happy and safe and that's one thing even you can't change"

"I-" she started

"Don't you get it?" He asked her "I love you"

"You what?" she asked forgetting they were fighting in the middle of torrential downpour

"I love you." He repeated "I want you in my life, I want to have fucking breakfast food at my house for you, I want to hold you all night and not let you go in the morning and I never want to see you as devastated you were when you met your father and I will do anything in my power to make sure that never happens" he said passionately "If you want to leave and not look back it's not going to change a damn thing because I'll still-" he started but stopped when she cupped his face and pulled him into a searing kiss in the rain.

* * *

They stumbled into AJ's empty apartment completely drenched from the rain removing their clothing on the journey to her bedroom. AJ was sporting just a bra and tight soaking pants when Punk lifted her so she could wrap her legs around his waist as he carried her into the bedroom.

"Say it again" she insisted as he kissed down her throat

"I love you" he said again

"Again" she said as he laid her on the bed but not letting her go

"I love you and you make me fucking crazy" he said to kissing down her chest now and all the way down her stomach. AJ ran her hands through his hair while he removed her pants and tossed them to the floor.

"I love you too" She said to him as he moved back up her body and looked into her eyes

"I know you do" he said to her before kissing her again. Her arms reached down and tugged his t-shirt over his head and used her toes to pull down his shorts and boxers.

"Are we insane?" she asked as he kissed any part of her neck and jaw line he could reach.

"Yes" He said to her without hesitation "That's why we're perfect for each other"

Punk moved down her body and with the stealth of a cat slid her panties down her legs and they joined the rest of their clothes on the floor. Her arms were stretched over her head as Punk worked his magic on her. He stopped abruptly and hovered over her.

"I can't wait" he said nipping at her lips. He quickly flipped her over and lifted her hips so she was on her knees and he quickly entered her. He moved so quickly and both were so worked up they knew neither would last, and they didn't. AJ was finished after a few thrusts and Punk followed a few moments later.

"Are you ok?" Punk asked her as she lay on her stomach

"Better than ok" She said with a silly smile "I forgot what we were even fighting about"

"Good" Punk said running his fingers up and down her spin gently.

"Do you really love me?" she asked

"I say nothing without meaning" Punk reminded her

"I'm sorry if you feel I forced I changed you into someone you don't want to be" AJ said honestly

"I love the changes, I'm happier for them" Punk admitted "It's different and unfamiliar but in a good way"

"Look about my brother-" AJ started

"No" he said to her

"But-" she started

"No AJ it's just not going to happen" Punk said to her "I will do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't happen. I have your best interests at heart he doesn't"

"I have to do it" AJ said to him

"No you don't" he said simply "I can't talk about this anymore, can't we just leave it at this?"

"Do you have any idea how significant it was that you said you loved me?" she asked him "No one has ever said that to me"

"Oh, come on" He chuckled

"Not my mom, not Celeste- no one" she said to him seriously and he felt the pain in his heart

"You've gone 24 years without hearing those words ever said to you?" Punk asked stunned

"I've gone 24 years without ever feeling it" AJ said firmly

"I'm sorry" he said to her

"You fixed all of that for me" AJ said to him "You changed me too. Which is why I don't want to argue about this anymore. I'm going to meet him whether you're at my side or not. And if it turns out bad I'm ok with that because I've still got you"

"Why can't you ever just say 'ok Punk whatever you say'?" He questioned but she just gave him a warm smile "Can we worry about it in a few weeks?"

"Why a few weeks?" she asked

"Because in two weeks you're coming away with me" Punk said to her

"Where are we going?" AJ asked shyly

"Away with my family" Punk said to her "It's a yearly tradition and I want you there"

"I don't want to intrude on your family vacation" she said to him

"Everyone wants you there and more importantly I want you there" Punk said to her "If you don't go I won't go"

"Ok" she said to him "Where are we going?"

"We go skiing" he told her

"I've never skied" she said to him

"I'll teach you" he smiled "You'll have a great time"

"I'm sure I will" she agreed.


	13. Vacation

**Vacation**

* * *

AJ and the Klein family arrived in Jackson Hole Wyoming a few weeks later. The place was beautiful and unlike Punk the rest of Klein family loved to throw money around and they rented out a beautiful home for the week. Maria and Dean also joined in the trip and Punk did ask why Dean was there but Jennifer had told him he was family as well. AJ was whisked away by the girls to go shopping which left Punk with Dean, Elliot and Devon.

"I don't understand why Jennifer invited you" Punk said to Dean

"She loves me" Dean shrugged innocently and Punk just eyed him

"I don't understand why I have to bunk with him" Devon said out loud

"Maria and Mia are bunking and Punk and AJ are sharing a room" Elliot shrugged "It's simple math"

"I didn't realize we were allowed to bring guests" Devon said to him

"And who were you going to bring?" Punk asked with a laugh

"Maybe I'm seeing someone" Devon shot at him "Just because I don't parade her around like you do AJ doesn't mean I don't have someone"

"He doesn't have someone" Dean laughed as did Punk

"You should meet AJ's roommate" Punk said to his brother "She's smart, works at a gym and I know you love the gym" he said to him

"Is she hot?" Devon asked

"I don't know" Punk said sipping on his water

"You don't know?" Dean asked "Did AJ put blinders on you?"

"No" Punk defended "I just don't look at other women like that anymore"

"I never thought I'd see the day" Devon said to him "I'm so glad I can bring a girl home and not be afraid of you sleeping with her when my back is turned"

"Yea feel free to bring anyone by" Punk smirked sarcastically

"She really is a lovely girl" Elliot said seriously

"Yes I know you said it ten times on the flight" Punk said to him

"Whatever happened with her brother?" Dean asked "He still sniffing around?"

"Haven't heard anything but AJ is planning on seeing him when we get back to Chicago" Punk told him

"Is that a good idea?" Devon asked unsurely

"No" Punk said to Devon "But she has her mind made up. I tried everything. I even told her 'no' and she still won't listen"

"You told her no?" Elliot asked with a chuckle "You silly boy. You have a lot to learn"

"It's always worked for me in the past" Punk said seriously "But AJ just doesn't do anything I ask her to do" he said annoyed causing Elliot to laugh

"To think a woman doesn't just bow down to you" Devon mocked "Poor Punk"

"It's fucking frustrating" Punk replied annoyed "She makes me want to rip my hair out but I can't not be without her- it's so aggravating"

"It's love" Elliot said simply

"Love" Dean snorted a laugh "Mr. Player settled down"

"Just keep in mind I'm in the next room so don't be all loud tonight" Devon warned him

"I won't mind" Dean said seriously

"AJ is loud" Punk said almost smugly with a shrug

* * *

AJ ended up in a high-end lingerie shop with the other women. AJ thought she'd feel out of place but everyone had been so welcoming to her.

"What do you think of this?" Maria asked holding a piece up

"Hot" Mia said firmly

"Too hot" Jennifer frowned

"Who are you dressing up for anyway?" Mia teased

"Devon might be lonely" Maria smirked

"Mom in the room" Jennifer pointed out

"Oh right" Maria smiled looking around

"Aren't you going to look at anything?" Mia asked AJ. Some of the items just weren't in AJ's budget.

"No I don't need any of that" AJ said to them

"I want grandchildren honey" Jennifer said seriously "I'm not getting any younger"

"They're not even married" Mia reminded her

"You know I'm not traditional" Jennifer said to her "I just want grandchildren"

"What about me?" Mia asked

"You can't have children until you tell your father and brothers who you are dating" Jennifer said coolly

"That leaves you AJ" Maria laughed

"This would look so good on you" Mia said holding up a black set

"Punk likes red" Maria corrected.

"Phil likes anything I'm in" AJ said happily "Which is usually not much"

"Typical man" Mia smirked

"Speaking of my son I was over at his place and noticed some changes" Jennifer said smiling. "There were pictures on the wall and food in his kitchen"

"Also blinds in the bedroom" AJ added

"I'm impressed" Jennifer said fondly

"He told me he loved me" AJ blurted out and all three women froze

"Seriously?" Maria asked slowly and AJ nodded

"Like out loud?" Mia asked

"Yes" AJ said to them "He said it a week ago"

"Has he said it since?" even Jennifer was joining in on this

"Everyday" AJ said to them "Why? Is that bad?"

"Phil has a wonderful heart and when he loves its on unconditional. And I know my son loves me but I can count on one hand how many times he's ever said it out loud" Jennifer said to her "He was so closed off after his parents I didn't think he'd ever say those words to anyone"

"I'm still trying to digest the fact that Punk is in a serious relationship and now he's in love" Maria smiled "This is great!"

"You make him very happy" Jennifer said warmly

"I always wanted a sister" Mia smiled

"I didn't say he proposed" she laughed "He only said he loved me"

"You have no idea what a big deal that is for him" Mia said to her

"I always thought Punk would go through life without finding someone who truly made him happy" Jennifer said to her

"Hey" Maria piped in offended

"You know what I mean honey" Jennifer said to her then looked back at AJ "This is wonderful, I'm so happy you came into his life"

"He is happy a lot" Mia noted then she smiled wide "I have a great idea! AJ could tell Punk about me and Dean because clearly he doesn't get mad at her"

"Actually he does get mad at me" AJ said to her "And I'm not getting involved with that mess"

"Damn" Mia muttered

"I want details about how he said it" Maria said to her

"We got into an argument and he just blurted it out" AJ said to them "It was actually pretty romantic"

"And now he's romantic" Maria said with an eye roll "I'm lucky I got a cab ride home after sleeping with him"

"Mom still in the room" Jennifer reminded her yet again

"Right sorry" Maria mumbled

"At this rate you two will be married in six months" Mia said to her

"And then grandchildren" Jennifer grinned "Or sooner- again I'm not traditional" she smiled

"Noted" AJ smirked

* * *

Punk was catching a nape from being jetlagged when he felt the bed move and could already sense who it was.

"Have fun?" he asked in a sleepy voice

"Yes" she said rolling on her side so their faces were inches apart. "I got something for tonight"

"I'm intrigued" he smirked opening his eyes slowly

"You should be" she said to him "Your family is so great"

"Yea they're alright" Punk teased and wrapped his arm around her pulling her as close as she could get "Nap with me" he ordered

"I can sleep" she agreed curling into him but a phone started to vibrate on the side table.

"No" he mumbled

"What if it's about the club?" she asked "You should answer it" she rolled over to grab his phone but it was actually hers ringing. "It's Celeste" she said to him but he kept his eyes close and still tried to drift off into sleep.

"Hello?" AJ asked

"Hey girl" Celeste said to her "So I just wanted to let you know that a man named AB came here to see you"

"AB?" she asked confused then it hit her "Alberto?" she asked and now Punk's eyed opened.

"Yea I think it was your dad" Celeste said to her "He was here with his son"

"What did they want?" AJ asked her

"He didn't say but he did want to see you I told him you were out of town" Celeste said to her "He wanted your number but I didn't give it"

"Was he nice to you?" AJ asked as Punk listened carefully

"Almost too nice" Celeste admitted "He seemed almost sinister"

"I'm sorry he bothered you" AJ said to her

"It wasn't a bother, I just thought it weird" Celeste said to her "He also said he stopped by your job first and when you weren't there he assumed you'd be home"

"Wow" AJ said to her "I wonder what he wants"

"Well be prepared because he said he's staying in town until you get back" Celeste warned "I can't help but feel like you opened Pandora's box with this"

"Yea I'm feeling that too" she said with a sigh "Thanks for calling"

"No problem, have fun!" Celeste said then hung up

"What's wrong?" Punk asked

"Alberto and his son came to my place today" AJ said to him "I guess you didn't scare him off like you thought you did"

"What do they want?" Punk asked annoyed

"They didn't say but Celeste mentioned they were at the office earlier. Didn't you tell me you made sure security wouldn't let them in?" She asked

"They had Primo's picture not Alberto's" Punk said mentally kicking himself "I didn't think I had to worry about him showing up. Guess I was wrong. I'll take care of it"

"Now I'm beyond curious as to what they want" AJ said to him

"I'm curious myself" Punk said to her "We'll figure something out when we get back"

"Well they're going to be staying in town until I get back apparently" AJ said to him

"Interesting" He said sitting up and rubbing his hands over his face to wake himself up "Pass me my phone?" he asked and she did

"What are you doing?" she asked

"I'm just going to have Roman keep an eye on things that's all" Punk said typing on his phone

"You don't have to bother Roman with this" AJ sighed

"I pay Roman to deal with things like this" Punk informed her "It's not a bother at all"

"I'm starting to think you were right about all of this" AJ said folding her knees up against her chest and resting her chin on the top of them.

"It's going to be fine" Punk promised "You know I'm crazy about this because I know what you're going through" he admitted looking over to her "My dad is in prison" he told her honestly "And I told you my mom was killed by a drunk driver, she was the drunk driver"

"I didn't know" she said softly

"If I had the option to erase it all and never have the memories I think I would be better off" Punk confided "I can't un-see or un-hear my childhood but I wish I could. I just want to protect you from that, that's all"

"I appreciate it" AJ smiled

"And I am going to protect you from it" Punk promised "Don't worry about any of this just have a good time this week"

"I will" she said leaning over to give him a kiss.

* * *

Later that night AJ stepped out of the small bathroom sporting a red lace lingerie set.

"Damn" Punk said seriously. He was already just in his boxers.

"You have to keep it down" she warned "Your family is here"

"My parents are on the other side of the house and I don't care who hears me" he said rubbing his hands together "This is so amazing" he said as she got on her knees and walked her way across the bed until she was leaning over him.

"I haven't even touched you yet" she said feeling his already hardening shaft

"You don't have to touch me to arouse me baby" Punk said seriously as she straddled him. He sat up and pulled her close and began to attack her mouth while AJ rolled her hips into his groin. He kissed down her chest and bit over her breast causing her to hiss and he quickly rolled her underneath him.

"That hurt" she laughed rubbing her breast

"Sorry" he smirked "But if you keep touching yourself like that you're only going to make me want to do it again" he said to her and she moved her hand away. He leaned down and gently kissed the spot. "Better?"

"Almost, do it again and we'll see" She said innocently

"I'll do it all-" he stopped talking and his head jerked up.

"What's wrong?" she asked

"Didn't Mia and them go out to some club or something?" he asked her

"Yea" she said unsurely "What's wrong?"

"I hear something" he said climbing off of her and pulling on his sweats

"Maybe it's your parents" AJ shrugged

"No it's coming from Mia's room they wouldn't be in there" he said walking to the door. "Stay here" he instructed and stepped out of the room.

AJ quickly reached for Punk's t-shirt and put it on over her body and followed him out of the room. She peeked and saw Punk slowly opening Mia's door before barging in.

"What the fuck is this?" Punk asked turning on the light

"Hey" Mia smiled covering herself with a bed sheet. Dean looked over and he was only wearing his boxers and was completely frozen. "Dean was just-"

"What the fuck are you doing?" Punk asked grabbing Dean off of the bed and AJ appeared in the doorway and realized what Punk had just walked in on.

"Punk-" Mia started but Punk pushed Dean into the wall

"I'm talking to you!" Punk yelled placing his hand around his throat.

"Phil don't!" AJ yelled trying to get his grip off of Dean

"Stop!" Mia yelled

"My little sister?" Punk asked Dean "Are you fucking crazy!?"

"It's not like that!" Mia shouted but Punk ignored her

"Phil let him go" AJ yelled still trying to pull his arm but he was way too strong.

"I should fucking kill you!" Punk screamed

"Phil stop this" AJ begged

"Let him go!" Mia cried. Punk released Dean and looked over to his sister

"How long has this been going on?" Punk asked her "Answer me!" he yelled causing her to jump back slightly

"A while" Mia whispered holding back tears. Punk just nodded and gave her a sarcastic smile.

"Leave it be" AJ said to him

"You're fired" He said looking down at Dean "Don't show up at my fucking club or my house we're done" he hissed at Dean

"You don't mean that" Mia cried

"I fucking mean it!" He yelled "How could you?" he asked her "You didn't learn your lesson from the Seth mess?"

"Don't you dare ever compare him to Seth" Mia hissed

"It's over" Punk said to her "You two are done"

"You don't run my life Punk" Mia spat as Dean and AJ remained silent "Being with Dean these last few months have been the best of my life! He makes me happy and we're having fun!"

"I hope it was worth it" Punk said giving her a disgusted look then stormed out of the room and back into own.

"Could you talk to him?" Mia crowed kneeling down to check on Dean

"I guess" AJ said unsurely. She seemed pretty sure there was no fixing this.

AJ walked back into the bedroom and Punk was fuming pacing back and forth.

"It's ok" AJ said to him

"You didn't seem all that surprised" Punk noted "I've asked you a hundred times who Mia was seeing and you knew she was fucking my best friend the entire time?" he asked angered

"I told you I wouldn't betray her confidence" She reminded him

"What about your loyalty to me?" Punk asked with a red face

"She's happy" AJ argued

"She's happy? She was heartbroken and Dean jumped all over it!" Punk yelled "You don't mess around with your friends family" he informed her "Everyone lied to me! Who else knows?"

"I don't know Phil" She sighed "Why don't you just take a minute"

"I don't need a fucking minute- first I need to bleach my fucking my eyes and then my brain" he said to her "I can't believe my best friend, my sister and my girlfriend all lied to me"

"It wasn't a lie and it wasn't my business" She said to him

"It was my business" Punk pointed out

"No it has nothing to with you actually" AJ said to him folding her arms

"I'm glad you have my back on this" Punk said sarcastically

"Don't word it like that" AJ said and watched as he grabbed his phone and a pillow

"Where are you going?" she asked

"I'm sleeping downstairs in the living room" He said to her then stormed out of the room.

* * *

Punk was lying on the couch for about an hour unable to sleep. He stared up at the ceiling and tried to relax but he wanted to run upstairs and toss Dean out of the window.

"I brought you a blanket" AJ said holding up a blanket

"Thanks" he muttered not looking at her.

"Still mad at me?" she asked

"Yup" He said honestly

"Can I lay with you?" she asked

"Just sleep upstairs" he said to her but she crawled over him and wedged herself in-between him and the couch.

"Don't be mad" she said resting her head on his chest

"It's too late for that" Punk said to her "Just sleep in the bed AJ" he said to her

"If you're going to be down here so am I" she said simply opening the blanket up to cover the two of them. "I love you" she said sweetly and he couldn't help but melt slightly. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her to keep her close.

"Love you too" he replied.


	14. Taking Off

**Taking Off**

* * *

The next morning Punk was upstairs packing up his stuff while AJ watched from the bed.

"Don't you think you should stay and talk to Mia and Dean?" AJ questioned. Punk was still pissed about everything.

"No" Punk said coldly

"They both love you" AJ reminded him

"If they loved me they wouldn't have gone behind my back" Punk said glaring at her.

"She seems so happy with him" AJ said to him

"She doesn't know Dean" Punk informed her "I know Dean. He's not right for her- he's not good enough for her."

"Why?" AJ asked him surprised "He's good enough to be your friend and employee but not good enough to date your sister?"

"Mia is a Klein" Punk reminded her "She deserves someone who makes just as much money as she does, someone who can spoil her and take care of her"

"Wow" AJ said with a bitter laugh "So you're just settling with me then, huh?"

"No" Punk said quickly "That's not what I meant"

"Dean works for you, I work for your father what's the difference?" AJ questioned

"You're not Dean" Punk said to her "He has no values, no heart"

"Oh I don't believe that at all" AJ disagreed "He takes care of her, isn't that what you want for your sister?"

"No I want someone who isn't my best friend for her" Punk said to her "I packed your stuff earlier" he said pointing to her bag.

"I really think we should stay" AJ sighed "Your family went through a lot of trouble for this vacation"

"Fuck it" He said "I can't be in the same place as them"

"Your parents aren't this upset over this" AJ reminded him

"Because they don't know the real Dean" Punk argued

"I don't believe Dean is bad at all" AJ said stubbornly

"And how could you possible know that?" Punk asked annoyed

"Because you let him into your life" AJ said simply "You wouldn't trust a bad person with your business and family"

"You just don't get it" Punk said to her zipping up his bag. "We need to leave soon if we want to catch our flight" he informed her

"We already took the time off what are we going to do in Chicago for the rest of the week?" she asked him

"Who said anything about going back to Chicago?" he asked seriously "I promised you a vacation and you're going to get one"

"I'd rather just stay here" AJ said to him

"That's not happening" Punk said to her

* * *

After Punk's mother pleaded for him to stay Punk still refused. He didn't even make eye contact with Dean when he left and ignored Mia's pleas for him to stay and talk to her. He simply whisked AJ off to the airport prepared to start their real vacation.

"This place is way over the top" She said in awe as they entered a private villa in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico.

"You like?" Punk smiled dropping their bags to the floor

"Yes but I'm not packed for a summer vacation" She frowned "I wish you would have told me"

"We'll pick you up anything you need" Punk said to her

"What about you?" she asked

"I have stuff here already" Punk said to her

"You own this Villa?" she asked stunned

"Just the room" he laughed "I like to getaway sometimes and I come here"

"How many women have you had here?" she asked

"Including you? One" Punk said honestly "I come here to escape everyone. Don't want to escape you"

"Yet anyway" she teased

"It's so beautiful" she said stepping onto the balcony that had a small hot tub on it and if she walked a few feet she'd be on the sandy beach. "The beach looks so empty" she noted

"It's a private beach" he said to her

"You own the beach too?" she asked causing him to laugh again

"No but only people from this Villa can be on it so it's never really crowded" Punk said to her

"I've never been to the beach" she admitted and now he was stunned

"Impossible" he said seriously "You lived in Jersey!"

"I was bouncing around from foster home to foster home none of them took me to the beach" she shrugged

"What about friends?" Punk asked

"I didn't really have any" she said seemingly not bothered

"Well that's going to change" Punk said to her "My plan was to throw you on the bed and have my way with you for the rest of the day but this is more important"

"I don't have a suit" she said to him

"There's a boutique downstairs and pick up anything you need and charge it to my room" Punk told her

"I feel funny doing that" she said to him "You've paid for not one but two trips for me now I don't want to shop on your dime. I can get a suit"

"You're going to need more than one. You're also going to need some shorts and stuff unless you want to wear your snow pants?" Punk teased "I thought we discussed this whole me spending money on you thing?"

"We have it's just-" she started

"Go downstairs and get everything you need" He repeated cutting her off "Besides I wanted to come here anyway, I'll never understand why they pick skiing every year in the middle of winter" he said to her "I want to get away from the cold for a little. Now hurry because I can't wait to get you into the ocean"

"I don't even know if I can swim" she said horrified

"You think I'd let you drown?" he asked arching a brow

"No, I trust you" she smiled then walked out the door.

Punk took the brief free time to call Roman and check in on him.

"Hey any updates?" Punk asked him

"They're staying in some dive motel not far from her place" Roman said to him "They paid for the room for a week."

"Did you drop by the office and hand out his picture too?" Punk asked

"Yes and I made sure everyone at the club has their pictures too" Roman told him "I'll keep my eye on them. They haven't really left the room either I think I saw a woman go in there probably a hooker"

"Classy" Punk mumbled

"I was actually expecting you home" Roman admitted "Dean called and said you were leaving"

"I took AJ somewhere else" Punk told him "Speaking of Dean if he gets back before me give him his shit and make sure he doesn't step foot into my club"

"If that's what you want" Roman said to him

"Yea it's what I fucking want and I'm going to ask you- did you know about him and my sister?" Punk asked

"You really want me to answer that?" Roman asked

"So everyone fucking knew?" Punk asked disgusted

"It wasn't like that" Roman said to him "And it wasn't any of my business, isn't your business either"

"Fuck that" Punk spat "My sister, my business!"

"Give him a break man he's crazy about her" Roman sighed "He saved up for six weeks to buy her some shitty little bracelet. He also isn't seeing anyone else even though Mia insisted he did. He also tried to call it off with her because he didn't want to hurt you"

"He should have" Punk said to him

"Talk to him" Roman said to him

"No" Punk replied then hung up.

AJ was standing on the shoreline letting the water brush over her feet and kept her eyes on it.

"I don't know about this" AJ said unsurely. She was sporting a red bikini that Punk absolutely loved and standing close to her side.

"What are you so afraid of?" Punk asked amused

"I don't know what's out there" AJ admitted fearfully "I mean the ocean is huge! There are all sorts of fish and sea monsters"

"Sea monsters?" Punk asked with a laugh

"Octopus's" AJ pointed out "What if while I'm swimming one of it's leg things wrap around me and pull me under?"

"I'd fight it" Punk shrugged and she rolled her eyes

"What if a shark comes?" she asked

"Then we stay very still" Punk told her "It'll go away"

"What if a poisonous fish bites my leg?" she asked

"I'd bring you back to the beach and wrap your leg tightly and suck the blood out of your leg" he said to her casually causing her to laugh

"You watch too much TV" she giggled

"Me? You think you're about to step into a scene from Jaws" he teased "Hold my hand and I promise to not let you go"

"We won't go out far right?" she asked

"I swear" He said to her "Trust me" he requested.

"With my life" she said taking his hand and smiling.

* * *

After twenty minutes in the ocean they came back up to the shore and dried off.

"So what did you think?" Punk asked her

"It was so much fun!" she squealed "I can't believe what I've never done that before"

"We have all week. We can come back everyday if you'd like" he said to her and she smiled

"You're really too good to me" she said to him sitting on her towel.

"So I have to ask and I believe me I don't want to" Punk said to her "You didn't really have friends and stuff growing up but I wasn't your first" he said and she knew what he was getting at.

"Oh" she said slowly "You want to know about my first time? Or like a number?" she teased

"I'm just curious that's all" He said innocently

"I was fifteen" She said and he seemed surprised "I was messed up as a kid Phil. I wanted to be wanted by someone, anyone. His name was Daniel and he lived in one of my foster homes"

"Was he like your foster parent?" Punk asked feeling angry

"No!" she said quickly "He was a teen" she said to him "Eighteen. He wasn't cruel or anything, he was actually really sweet"

"Did you two date?" Punk asked

"Not really I was young" AJ said to him

"So what happened?" Punk questioned

"His mother found out we were sleeping together and she threw me out" AJ said with a small laugh "I had never been more embarrassed in my life. The sad part was I actually liked it there and after that I didn't even communicate with other foster families I was like a ghost. Obviously when I hit college I socialized with men more"

"No serious boyfriends?" he asked her curiously

"One or two" she shrugged "Nothing worth mentioning. Think less of me?" she asked

"Not at all" He said to her

"What about you?" she asked "I already know your number is probably large and I'd rather never know, but what about your first time?"

"I was sixteen" Punk admitted "She was twenty. I don't even remember her name"

"Do you miss sleeping around?" she asked

"Nope" he said satisfied "I'd be content being with you everyday until I'm old and wrinkly"

"I'd bet you'd be cute all old" she teased "But I'd still look young and vibrant since there's a huge age gap"

"It's not that big" he said annoyed

"I'm just teasing" she smiled "So what's on the agenda for tonight?"

"I'm taking you to dinner" Punk said to her "A nice fancy dinner then I'm going to rip your clothes off and keep you up all night"

"Speaking of that I want you to know that I started the pill" She informed him "I know you like condoms and all-"

"I don't want any barriers keeping me from you" he said to her

"I still think you'll get sick of me soon" she said to him

"Why do you keep saying that?" Punk asked

"Because most people get sick of me" She laughed "Except for Celeste of course"

"You're going to have to get used to the fact that I'm not going anywhere" he said to her "You can end this all tomorrow and I still wouldn't go. I'd always be part of your life whether you liked it or not"

"That should creep me out" she giggled

"But it doesn't?" he asked "That's how I know you're a keeper" AJ smiled and looked around the beach and noticed something.

"There's really no one here" She said to him even though it was starting to get dark she thought there'd still be more people.

"It's a small very private villa" he said to her

"I can tan without any lines" She said moving to untie her top but he grabbed her hand

"I happen to think tan lines are very sexy" he said to her "Just keep that on" he said seriously

"No one is here" She reminded him with a lustful smile and untied the top and tossed it to the side and lay against her beach towel. She felt him crawl over her body and she opened her eyes "Excuse me, you're blocking my sun"

"There are people right over there" He said nodding

"They're like a hundred feet away and it's almost dark everyone is going in and going to dinner" she reminded him

"Exactly so you can't tan" he argued

"Maybe I'm just trying to seduce you" she replied

"You don't have to remove your top to seduce me" he remarked

"Come on" she smiled arching her back slightly

"You know how I feel about sex outside" he said to her

"We're on vacation" She smiled "Make love to me on the beach" she requested reaching up to kiss his lips.

"You are just never ever going to do anything I ask are you?" Punk asked

"Probably not" She said seriously

"Do you do it on purpose?" he asked her with a grin

"Sometimes" she shrugged lightly. He sat up so he was straddling her and grabbed his towel and leaned back over but covered their lower halves with the towel.

"You're lucky I love you" he said very seriously and began kissing her. She ran her hands through his damp hair as AJ spread her legs so he could lay in-between them.

"I know" She smiled as he she felt his hand begin to palm her.

"I've never given into someone else's sex demands like I do with you" he admitted almost angrily

"I'll take that as a compliment" she grinned as his hands pushed her bottoms to the side and he entered two fingers into her. "So good" She said happily as she let him play with her. She looked past his shoulder as he was busy kissing her around her chest and saw the sun setting. "Phil it's so beautiful" she said to him as she cried out slightly.

"Yes you are" He said to her. He removed her bottoms and pulled down his own swim trunks. He pulled the towel back over their lower halves then quickly entered her.

"So perfect" she moaned as he placed his hand under her left calf to give himself a better angle.

"You really are" he moaned into her neck as he moved as hard and quickly as he could. "It's always so fucking good" he said sucking on her neck

"I love you so much" She practically cried as he hit her sweet spot perfectly. She clawed at his back and she was sure she was leaving marks but he clearly didn't mind. He'd hiss slightly but it would only egg him on more to go harder. "I'm so close" she warned as her eyes shut tightly.

"Let go for me" he demanded and moved his hand over her clit to push her into her bliss. She tightened around him and released just as he told her to do. Three rough thrusts later Punk released but unlike any other time before he released into her body. She had never felt that before and felt more connected to him then ever before. He pulled out of her after a moment and looked down at her.

"I should have gone on the pill a long time ago" she smiled happily rubbing her eyes "I liked that" she admitted

"So did I" he said nipping at her lips "So intimate" he said kissing her lips again

"We should go back" She whispered and he nodded. He kept the towel over her as he pulled up his swim trunks. AJ wrapped the towel around her body and stood up as Punk picked up her discarded bikini.

"I have sand everywhere" she pouted

"You wanted sex on the beach" Punk reminded her

"If I asked you to jump off a bridge would you?" she asked

"Only if you jumped first, I'd jump second only to get you" Punk said seriously

"That's sweet…doesn't change the fact that I have sand in areas no one should ever have sand" she said walking funny.

"Poor baby" he laughed following behind her

* * *

Punk took AJ to finest restaurant she had ever eaten in her entire life. Everything on the menu was outrageous but the place was beautiful and on the open beach, candlelit. She was wearing a strapless flowing red dress and even Punk was slightly more dressed in a cool white buttoned down shirt (not completely buttoned of course) and nice pants.

"How's your food?" he asked her

"It's delicious" she smiled "It's only the first night here and I feel beyond spoiled"

"Good I want you to feel that way" he said to her "I love having you here with me. I'm starting to think we should just move here and never go back to Chicago"

"I think your family would miss you" She smiled

"I don't want to think about that right now" Punk said to her

"We really should talk about Dean" She said to him

"Nope" he said simply taking a bite out of his food "I don't want this night spoiled, it's a big night"

"Why is it so big?" she asked

"It's your birthday" He said not even looking at her as he took another bite out of his food.

"How did you know that?" she asked stunned

"I know everything" Punk said seriously looking up at her "Why didn't you mention it?"

"I have never celebrated my birthday" She said honestly "It's stupid"

"It's not stupid at all" he said coolly "You've just never celebrated because you've never had anyone to celebrate with but that's over now."

"Did you know this entire time it was my birthday?" AJ asked

"I knew when I booked the ski trip" Punk said to her "I had something else planned obviously that changed" he smirked then placed something on the table

"You've gotten more than enough" she said seriously but he just glared at her "Fine" She sighed taking the box and opening it. "A lightening bolt" she smiled at he gold necklace

"I saw it and thought of you" He said to her "I hope you like it"

"I love it" She smiled taking it out of the box carefully "It's perfect thank you!" she smiled almost holding back tears. He placed a finger under her chin and guided her to him.

"Happy Birthday, baby" he smiled before giving her a sweet kiss.


	15. Scared Straight

**Scared Straight**

* * *

AJ was back in Chicago a week later only now sporting a wicked tan and a smile that she couldn't get rid of.

"I didn't realize there were tanning salons where you were vacationing" Celeste teased as she helped AJ unpack.

"We didn't say in Wyoming" AJ said to her "Phil whisked me away to Mexico for the week"

"Just the two of you?" Celeste asked

"Yup" AJ said to her "It was amazing and so romantic. He took me shopping, he swam in the ocean with me, he took me to beautiful restaurants and completely spoiled me"

"He's a good guy you've got" Celeste said to her

"He really is" AJ smiled wildly "I mean it's not just the lavish presents and trips but he holds doors open for me, pulls chairs out- he is the definition of gentleman"

"I wish Randy was more like that" Celeste admitted

"How is it going with him?" she asked

"I haven't heard from him in three days" Celeste said to her "We're always on and off I've lost track"

"Why don't you come out with Monday night?" AJ asked her "Come to Phil's club and hang out? It's really great"

"Oh I don't know about that" Celeste said shaking her head

"It'll be fun and you'll love his sister and Maria" AJ assured her "We sit in the VIP section so you don't have to go down or dance anything"

"I'll think about it" Celeste said to her "So have you thought about what you're going to do about your new found family?"

"No actually" AJ said to her "And every time I mentioned it to Phil he just told me not worry about it"

"That's a scary thought" Celeste snorted "He's so crazy about you I can't imagine what he was thinking" AJ frowned at the thought "It's not a bad thing, you need someone like him to keep you safe"

"I'm not in danger" AJ argued

"You don't know them" Celeste reminded her "I don't think they came down here to get to know you either"

"So what do they want?" AJ asked her

"I couldn't tell ya" she shrugged "But maybe it's best you let Phil take care of it"

"He can't just make them disappear" AJ reminded her

"Maybe he could" Celeste hinted "He's got a lot of money and power"

"He wouldn't" AJ laughed at the thought.

"He left a note by the way" Celeste said to her "It's on the table in the living room. It was the name of the hotel he was staying in so you could meet him there if you wanted"

* * *

Punk was back at the club at around noon looking over everything he missed when Roman walked in.

"What's up?" Punk asked nodding at him

"Welcome back" Roman greeted

"Anything new?" Punk asked

"They're still at the motel" Roman said to him

"We're going to go over there in a few, just let me look over some of these bills" Punk said to him

"Dean's here" Roman informed and Punk shot him a dangerous look

"Why?" Punk demanded

"Wants to see you" Roman shrugged

"Send him up" Punk said quietly looking back at his paper work. A few minutes later Dean walked in.

"Before you rant and rave I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you" Dean said as Punk looked up at him. "I'm sorry you feel betrayed but I'm not sorry for doing it, I really care about Mia. And if you're pissed at me then so be it but don't take it out on her, she's been crying since you left" he informed Punk "Ignore me, be mad at me."

"What if I told you that you could keep your job here?" Punk asked him "Still work with me and we could get passed this?"

"I'd say great" Dean said to him "But I know you and I know there's a big 'but' attached to it and if that is stop seeing your sister that's not happening" he told him firmly

"You're picking my sister over me?" Punk questioned "Your brother? We grew up together"

"And I'll never forget it but Mia is too important to me" Dean admitted "The way you feel with AJ, that's how I feel when I'm with Mia. It's not just some fling I'm serious about her. And believe me I know I'm way out of my league here" he laughed "She's way too good for me but she doesn't see it that way."

"Of course she doesn't" Punk smirked "She's young and naïve"

"She's smarter than you give her credit for" Dean shot at him "I don't know how long this is going to last but I don't want it to end anytime soon. I'd hate to lose you but Mia is my girl"

"I see" Punk said leaning back in his chair "Ok" he said to him

"Ok what?" Dean asked

"You can stay at the club" Punk said to him "You can stay with my sister but I will give you a warning- if you hurt her I will fucking end you" he threatened "I will make what I did to Seth look like child's play in comparison"

"Understood" Dean smiled

"Also, don't ever fucking lie to me again" he said annoyed "I hate that shit"

"We were afraid you'd overreact" Dean admitted

"Who, me?" Punk asked seriously and Dean just nodded "Take care of her and keep her happy"

"Done and done" Dean promised

"Good now that's all settled I need you for something" Punk said to him "AJ's family is in town"

"Still?" Dean asked

"They're staying at that crappy motel by Tonic actually" he said to him "Me, you and Roman are going to go over there"

"Cool" Dean smiled "It's been a long time since the three of us did anything like this before"

"I don't want them near her" Punk said to her "They're fucking criminals"

"I'm not arguing with you" Dean said to him

"She's going to fall right into their trap" Punk said to him "She's too nice and sweet. It's really endearing and all but she's got to start being meaner"

"She just need to hang out with you more" Dean shrugged simply and Punk shot him a look "You know what I mean" Dean laughed

"No good is going to come from these two" Punk said to him "I can feel it in the pit of my stomach"

"Well relax yourself because they're not getting near her" Dean assured him "We've all got her back"

"I'm worried" Punk admitted "As soon as we landed today I got the worst vibe. We should have just stayed gone"

"Where did you two go anyway?" Dean asked

"Mexico" Punk smiled at the memory "It was fucking great"

"Everyone was worried you were so furious you came back home to sulk but you were really off fucking your girl in Mexico?" Dean asked annoyed

"All week" Punk grinned

"You asshole" Dean muttered "Call your sister" He told him and Punk frowned "Seriously I'm not going anywhere with you until you do" he warned "She literally hasn't stopped crying"

"Fine" Punk said pulling out his phone.

* * *

AJ arrived at the motel and walked over the room number. It was a sleazy place but she didn't plan on staying long. She knocked on the door and Alberto answered.

"Well, well" he smirked "If it isn't my long lost daughter, come on inside"

"I'm not coming in" AJ said to him "I just want to tell you that I don't want anything to do with you and you should leave town"

"Why?" Alberto frowned

"Because I just don't" She said to him

"April why don't you come inside and I'll introduce you to your brother" Alberto offered

"No" AJ said firmly "You need to leave"

"Why? Is your boyfriend going to scare me out of town?" he asked "He has a lot of power that boy of yours huh?"

"What are you talking about?" AJ asked

"I didn't recognize him when he was at the bar but after Primo found that paper I realized he was Klein." Alberto said to her "That's a lot of money he has"

"This isn't about him" AJ argued

"Oh it is because you see after you and your little boyfriend left, my bar was mysteriously shut down" Alberto told her "That was my livelihood!"

"He didn't do that" AJ argued. Alberto grabbed her by her arm and dragged her into the room.

"I'm not stupid" Alberto informed her "I know what he did and he owes me for it. I don't give a shit about you darling I want him to pay me the money that's owed to me! The money I would have earned since my bar was shut down!"

"This is her?" Primo asked looking over to her

"Yes this is angelic face is the reason we can't pay rent this month" Alberto told him "Well say you're sorry to your big brother" he said to AJ

"I need to go" AJ said trying to walk past him but he stepped in her way and Primo came up behind her so she was sandwiched.

"Call your boyfriend and tell him he owes me five hundred thousand dollars" Alberto ordered

"No way" AJ said shaking her head "You probably haven't even made that much in your lifetime let alone at that dive" Alberto raised his arm and swiftly backhanded her so she fell against the bed. She had never been hit so hard in her life.

"Don't you disrespect me!" he warned "You don't know me! You don't know where I come from or the kind of life I've had! Unlike your prince I have to earn my money! I'm being generous asking for that amount! I've done my homework I know he has over 30 mill in the bank and not one cent was earned from hard work- all just handed to him like fucking candy!"

"Relax" Primo said to him placing a gently hand on AJ's back and helping her to her feet

"No this isn't the time to relax!" Alberto shouted

"You said we were going to talk to her" Primo whispered walking over to him "This is why I wanted to do it myself"

"The time for talking is over" Alberto told him. As they continued to whisper AJ looked at her hand that was covering her face and saw blood and realized her lip was bleeding. She saw they were still talking and then looked towards the door, she quickly jetted to it but she felt someone grip her hair.

"You go nowhere until I get my money" Alberto hissed.

"Trust me you don't want me to call him and tell him that you're keeping me here and demanding money" AJ practically threatened

"You think I'm afraid of a rich boy from Chicago?" Alberto mocked

"You should be" AJ said to him

"You should be afraid of me" He said clutching her hair tighter causing her to yelp in pain. "And he should be too!"

"It's enough!" Primo yelled forcing Alberto to let go of AJ. "Let her go and call him"

"She isn't going anywhere. Trying to track her down is like trying to find a needle in a haystack!" Alberto argued "She's never around!"

"I was on vacation but I'm back for good now" AJ said to them "I'm not leaving"

"You got that right" Alberto said to her. Loud knocking at the door startled AJ as Primo peeked outside.

"It's him" Primo said to Alberto who quickly grabbed AJ and covered her mouth. "He's not alone either" he said to him "He's got two pretty big with him"

"You told him to come here?" Alberto whispered into AJ's ear and all she could do was shake her head no. "Get my gun" he ordered Primo who walked over to the night bag and handed Alberto his gun. "Take her into the bathroom and if she makes a peep I'm putting a bullet through Romeo's head" he warned the both of them.

"I thought you wanted him here?" AJ asked, Alberto raised his arm but stopped short of hitting her.

"Alone not with three fucking goons" Alberto said to her

"I'm going to kick the door in!" Punk's voice rang out "Well actually I'm going to let my friend Reigns do that because he likes to kick things!"

"Bathroom" Alberto hissed pointing to it and Primo pulled AJ into the bathroom locking the door behind them. Alberto placed the gun in the back of his pants before opening the door.

Punk, Dean and Roman walked into the room. Roman closed the door behind them, locked and placed the chain on the door.

"I know you" Alberto laughed "You're my daughter's friend"

"She's not your daughter" Punk informed him "I want you to forget you ever met her"

"How can a man forget his own pretty little daughter?" Alberto questioned

"Is that blood on your hand?" Dean asked nodding towards Alberto's hand that did in fact have blood on it.

"Oh don't worry I'll be fine" Alberto laughed

"Too bad" Dean responded

"I was actually expecting little April here" Alberto said to him "Is she here?" he asked innocently

"No and you won't see her ever again because this is the last time you're going to step foot in Chicago" Punk informed him

"You can't control that" Alberto smirked smugly

"You'd be awfully surprised by what I can control" Punk told him coolly

"I actually probably wouldn't be" Alberto replied

"Where's the other one?" Dean asked looking around the room

"My son is out" Alberto said to him

"Damn I was looking forward to hanging out with him" Dean mocked

"Roman here is going to take you all the way back to Milwaukee" Punk told him

"That won't be necessary" Alberto chuckled

"I think it is" Punk said coldly "If I hear or see you sniffing around AJ again you won't just lose your bar this time" he threatened "Your crappy apartment, your shitty car and I'm pretty sure your parole officer will be paying you a visit as well"

"You can't do that" Alberto said getting angry

"Try me" Punk said to him "But that's just me being nice. I'm not a business man like my father but he did teach me to always eliminate the competition"

"You consider me competition?" Alberto teased

"I consider you a threat" Punk shot at him "You will disappear and no one will bother looking for you."

"It would be the easiest thing ever" Dean grinned in a psychopathic way

"You think because you have some buddies that you're street?" Alberto mocked "You can't touch me son"

"I will fucking kill you" Punk said to him "And I'll get away with it. Try me" he said harshly. "So you can either take the ride for Roman or we can do this the hard way"

"Alright" Alberto smirked as he slyly tried to reach the gun in the back of his pants but Roman wrapped his hand around his wrist.

"What's that?" Dean asked pulling the gun out. "It's been a while since I was on parole but I'm pretty sure this is against the rules"

"Thought you were going to shoot me?" Punk laughed "Why did you bring gun here?"

"I always have my piece on me" Alberto said to him

"I doubt that" Punk said to him "We're going to hold onto this" he said as Roman passed Dean the gun who tucked it into the back of his pants now. "Also enjoy your ride back home"

"My son isn't here and I'm not going without him" Alberto said with cold eyes

"I've got time" Roman said taking a seat placing his feet on the side table

"He's got all of the time in the world" Dean smirked

"Are you going to come back here? Are you going to try to contact April?" Punk asked

"No" Alberto said to him

"Good to hear" Punk smirked slapping his shoulder "Enjoy your trip"

"Wait I'm here" Primo said walking out of the bathroom. Dean quickly pushed him to the ground and checked to see if he had a gun of his own.

"I'm not packing" Primo defended

"See if anyone else is in there" Punk said to him and Dean walked into the bathroom then out

"Empty" Dean said to him

"Well I'm sure your father will fill you in" Punk said to him

"I heard it. You won't have anymore trouble for us" Primo assured him

"Good to hear" Punk nodded "Dean" he said nodding and the two left.

* * *

Punk was back at his club and got the message from Roman that Alberto and Primo were back home and he was now on his way back. He was getting ready to open the club with Dean for the night when a bouncer walked in.

"Punk there's a girl here to see you" the guy said to him

"We're busy" Punk said annoyed

"She said she's your girlfriends roommate" he said to him and Punk nodded

"Let her in" he said standing up and saw Celeste walk in frantically. "Celeste, is everything ok?"

"Yea I was just hoping AJ would be here" Celeste said to him

"She's not. I haven't seen her since I dropped her off earlier" Punk said to her "Something wrong?"

"I think she did something stupid" Celeste said nervously

"What do you mean?" Punk asked

"She saw the card her father left as to where he was staying and she said she was going to see him" She told him

"How long ago?" Dean asked from his seat

"A few hours" Celeste said to them "I've tried calling her at least ten times and it goes right to voicemail each time"

"I was there" Punk said to her "I didn't see her, you checked the bathroom right?" he asked Dean

"Dude she wasn't in there believe me" Dean said to him

"How did she get there?" Punk asked her

"She took a cab" she told him and Punk pulled out his phone now and tried to call her but it went to voicemail as well.

"I'm really worried" Celeste said to him

"I'll find her" Punk said to her "Stay at your place in case she comes back and call me if she does" he said to her

"Are you sure? Maybe I should go by the motel and check it out" Celeste suggested

"I'll do that. Like I said wait at home in case she comes back" Punk said to her

"Ok" Celeste said "Please find her" she added before leaving

"The blood" Dean said alarmed to Punk

"What?" Punk asked him

"He had blood on his hand, remember?" Dean asked "She must have gotten there before-"

"Holy fuck" Punk muttered and his face went pale "He had a fucking gun!"

"There wasn't any blood in the bathroom" Dean told him "It looked fine"

"We need to go back and look at everything" Punk said grabbing his jacket

"What if she never made it there?" Dean asked "What if her cab got into an accident or something? Maybe you should call the police"

"They won't do anything right now we have to 48 hours for that" Punk said to him

"The bathroom had a window" Dean told him as he put on his own jacket "It was open and I thought it was weird because it's so fucking cold out"

"She could have been hurt and crawled out the window" Punk said horrified at the thought. Just as he walked to open his door he stopped when he saw AJ standing there.

"Hi" she choked out but he didn't respond he just wrapped his arms around her. She could feel his heart racing against her chest as he held her tightly. Dean slipped out of the room unnoticed by the two and after enough time Punk pulled away to look at her. He immediately noticed her fat lip and bruise on her cheek.

"AJ" he sighed. The disappointment was evident in his voice

"I know you're mad" she cried "And you have every right to be- I just passed Celeste and I know she told you I where I was and I shouldn't have done it and I'm so sorry" she sobbed out as he just listened to her "But I'm human and I make mistakes and right know I don't need to be yelled at, I need my boyfriend to comfort me and make me feel better. Can you do that?"

"Yes" he said pulling her against him and hugging her again. "Are you ok?" he asked her

"No" she sobbed

"Let me get you some ice" he said pulling away after a minute, he opened the door and asked Dean to get him some ice. "What happened AJ?" he asked sitting her on his couch.

"I don't even know" AJ sniffled as Punk passed her a tissue. Dean walked in with a bag of ice and handed it to Punk.

"Did Alberto do this?" Punk asked

"Yes" she said placing the ice against her lip. "I was there when you were"

"What?" Dean asked feeling his own heart drop. Punk gave him a look that read 'we both fucked up'

"He told me he'd shoot you if you found out I was there" she cried "I was scared"

"So you stayed in the bathroom?" Punk asked and she nodded

"After Dean found his gun Primo opened the window and told me to run" AJ confided

"Once I had the gun why didn't you just come out?" Dean asked

"I was afraid you would kill them" AJ admitted "Would you have?" she asked the two but neither responded

"What did he want? Why did he hit you?" Punk asked ignoring her question

"He wanted me to get five hundred thousand dollars from you because you had his club shut down" AJ said to him "He said he knew what kind of money you had"

"He knew what kind of money he has and only asked for that amount?" Dean snorted

"He was thrown off when you showed up with two other guys" AJ said to him

"I can't believe you were there" he said running his hands over his face.

"I'm sorry AJ" Dean said to her

"You couldn't have known" AJ said looking up at him offering him a sincere smile

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Punk asked her

"I left my bag in the room" AJ said to him "I just went out the window and walked"

"That's a long fucking drive let alone walk" Dean commented

"I wanted to clear my head" AJ said to them "I didn't want to worry you"

"Call Roman" Punk said to Dean

"No" AJ said quickly "It's over now we're all even"

"It's not fucking even" Dean answered for Punk

"He's right" Punk said to her

"It is" AJ said to him "You scared him out of town and had his bar shut down it's done. He's obviously not getting the money from you and I think he's aware of that now. We can just call it even and forget each other"

"Punk?" Dean asked looking at what to do

"Just leave it" Punk said to him regrettably

"Alright" Dean said to him "I'm sorry AJ" he said to her again "If I had known you were there-"

"I know" AJ said to him he then walked out of the room.

"Did Primo touch you?" Punk asked

"No he was actually nice" AJ said to him "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was going there"

"And I'm sorry I didn't realize you were in the room" Punk said to her "So I guess we're even too"

"I wasn't there long" AJ said to him "I only beat you there by five minutes"

"It only takes five minutes to get a bruised cheek and a busted lip" Punk said bitterly

"I'm done with all of it" AJ said to him "No more Alberto, Primo- I don't want to know anymore about my mom I'm done with it"

"Are you sure?" Punk asked

"Yes" She sighed "This was a lesson learned. Could you just take me home?" she asked him "I don't think I can walk anymore and I want a good night sleep before I get a huge lecture from you"

"Ok" Punk said standing up "But I'm taking you to my place"

"I really don't want to be alone and you have to work-" she started

"Dean can handle this" Punk said to her "You're more important than this club" he said to her as he stood up and took her hand to help her up as well. "I'm not going to lecture you or talk about this again all I'm going to say to you is the one brief minute I thought you were lying in some fucking ditch hurt or dead was the worse few moments of my entire life. You absolutely can not do that to me again" he said and AJ noticed how glassy his eyes were. He was holding back tears, emotional. She had never seen this side of him.

"It's ok" She whispered cupping his cheek with her hand and now she was concerned to see him so upset.

"I didn't ask that. Promise me you won't do anything stupid like that again" he said to her "You can't do that to me again"

"I promise" she said and he seemed happy with the response. He kissed the top of her head and then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and walked her down the stairs.


	16. Making Moves

**Making Moves**

* * *

AJ woke up and was surprisingly feeling very refreshed which was great since she was heading back to work today. She felt Punk's side of the bed and it was cold then reached over to her phone and saw it was turned off. She powered it back on and almost screamed realizing it was almost noon, she was supposed to be at work at nine. She jumped out of the bed and ran out of the room.

"Phil!" She yelled out racing down his hallway

"In here!" he yelled and she headed into his office

"Phil! I have to get to work" She said to him "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You're not going to work today" Punk told her

"I have to go to work" she said to him "I can't miss a day-"

"Elliot didn't need you today" Punk told her "Relax that's why I didn't wake you"

"He had to have needed me. We were gone for an entire week" AJ argued

"He said to stay home" He shrugged "Take the day"

"I've taken seven days" She said annoyed

"Now it's eight" He said simply "Go lay back down"

"I can't lay down I want to go to work" AJ said to him

"Ok go to work and explain to Elliot and everyone else what happened to your face" Punk said to her and that's when she remembered and felt her bruise then her fingers moved over to her lip that was still fat.

"I forgot" She mumbled then looked over to him "You look exhausted"

"I didn't sleep" Punk admitted

"Why?" she asked with a frown

"Too much on my mind" Punk groaned running his hands over his face "But I do have to go to the club tonight"

"So go" She said to him "I should go back home anyway"

"I don't want you to go back home yet" He said to her

"I'll be fine" She smiled walking over to him and sat in his lap as he sitting in his chair.

"Look at your lip" he frowned examining it closely. "I can't believe you were there when I was, I wish you would have said something"

"I was scared for you" she said to him "What if I did say something what would you have done?"

"I don't know" Punk said to her "I do know I would have gotten you out of there"

"I heard what you said to him" AJ said to him "Are you really capable of killing a man?"

"For you? I'm capable of doing anything" Punk admitted to her

"Have you ever?" AJ asked

"Killed someone?" he asked and she nodded

"No" he said to her "But I've come close. When I was a kid I was fucking angry" he said remembering "I've gotten into some brutal brawls over the years. I should be in jail but Elliot always took care of me"

"I think you should stay away from him then" AJ said to him

"I don't plan on having lunch with Alberto anytime soon" he remarked sarcastically "But I'd like you to stay away from him"

"Done" She said to him "I know you're angry but promise me you won't do anything that could get you in trouble"

"I'm more angry at myself" Punk admitted "Do you want to call the police?" he asked her "File charges against him?"

"No" She said to him "I just want it over and forgotten. Want me to come to work with you tonight?"

"No you should stay here" Punk said to her "I think Mia mentioned coming over to see you anyway"

"Speaking of I didn't get a chance to ask, Dean?" she asked

"I'm working on being the bigger person" Punk admitted "Roman said a few things to me that helped me realize that Dean actually liked her"

"Roman? But everything I said went through one ear and out the other?" she asked annoyed

"It's annoying, isn't it?" he asked seriously

"I deserve that" She agreed "So what are you working on?"

"Just some club stuff" Punk said to her "Elliot wants me to open another one"

"Really?" AJ asked "That sounds great"

"It's a lot of work" Punk said to her "I don't know if I have the energy to go through all of this again"

"Just think about how pissed Seth would be if you opened another successful club" AJ said to him "I know you could do it"

"I don't like this business" Punk said to her "I do it for Elliot"

"So what would you do if you had the choice?" AJ asked him

"I don't know" he smirked shaking his head

"Sure you do" she said to him "What would you be doing if you weren't working with Elliot?"

"I always wanted to make comics" Punk admitted

"So do it" she said to him "I'm sure with your name you can't get some meetings"

"I don't know the first thing about it" Punk said to her

"Of course you do" she said to him "You'd be happier doing something you loved"

"I already do something I love" he said looking at her "I do you every night" she smiled immediately

"I mean work wise" She smiled "Give Dean some more responsibility with the club and use the free time to do something you really want"

"What about you?" Punk asked "You really plan on staying a PA for the rest of your life?"

"Maybe we could be a comic book duo" she teased "We can write them together"

"That would be nice" Punk agreed

"Just think about it before you sign on to run another club" AJ said to him

"I will" Punk said to her "But I really think you should go back to bed and rest"

"I've been resting for a week now" she whined "Do you think the swelling will go down on my lip?"

"Yea" he said examining it again

"I really should go home" AJ said with a sigh

"I'm still not over my mild freak out from yesterday" Punk admitted "I want you here for just a little bit longer, please?"

* * *

A week later everything seemed backed to normal. AJ had been back to work and her and Punk were doing great.

"Hey" Mia smiled skipping into the office

"Hi" AJ smiled looking up at her. "What's going on?"

"Well I need a favor" Mia said to her

"Sure" AJ shrugged

"I want you to convince Punk to go bring you on a double date with me and Dean" Mia said to her

"Oh I don't Mia" AJ laughed nervously "He's ok with the idea of you and Dean but seeing it in the flesh might be a bit much right now"

"Think of it like ripping off a band-aid" Mia said to her "I've asked him three times and each time he said that you said no"

"He never even asked me" AJ said to her

"I had a feeling" Mia said to her "Just meet us at the Regina at eight I already made reservations"

"How am I going to get him there?" AJ asked her

"Just do something slutty" Mia shrugged simply "He'll like that"

"It's going to take more than that" AJ sighed disagreeing "But don't worry I'll figure it out"

"You're the best! See you tonight"

* * *

Punk walked into the restaurant with AJ at eight.

"This doesn't seem like your type of place" Punk noted looking around the fancy restaurant

"I wanted to go somewhere really nice tonight" She lied with a smile

"Whatever you want" Punk said simply. They were waiting for the host when AJ looked over and waved.

"Look it's Mia" she waved "Come on"

"Oh no" Punk said grabbing her hand so she couldn't walk off "You set me up" he said to her

"I did not" AJ said innocently "We can't leave now it would be so rude"

"I'm a rude guy" Punk reminded her "I'm not having dinner with them"

"Yes you are" she said to him

"I budge on a lot of shit with you but this one thing I am not budging on" Punk said to her

"She's your sister" AJ reminded him in a whisper

"I said I'm fine with it doesn't mean I want to sit at the same table with them" Punk said harshly

"If you make it through dinner I'll reward you" she had to move plan b

"I'm not some fucking dog" He said to her then looked at her carefully "Reward me how?"

"Let's just say I'd be extremely grateful if you did this for me" she said running her hand down his chest and stopped just above his belt and gave him her best doe eyes.

"Are you seriously bribing me with sex?" Punk asked in disbelief and she just shrugged "One day when I say 'no' I would like you to listen- just once" he said holding up a finger

"It's fine you don't have to eat with them" AJ said to him

"Thank you" he said relieved and turned to leave but AJ didn't follow

"I didn't say I wasn't going to eat with them" AJ smirked

"You are just-" He stopped mid-sentence and grabbed her hand and walked her over to the table. He pulled out a chair for AJ across from Mia.

"Why thank you sweetheart" she smiled

"Whatever" Punk mumbled taking his seat across from Dean

"So glad we could finally do this" Mia grinned.

"Yes it's nice" AJ smiled picking up the menu and Punk shot her a glare

"This wasn't my idea" Dean said to Punk

"Didn't think it was" he said looking over to Mia

"You need to get over this and get used to seeing us together" Mia said to him "Besides you've already walked in on us having sex this should be nothing"

"Oh good I was hoping you'd bring that up" Punk said in a serious yet sarcastic tone.

"Let's change the subject" AJ suggested as she placed her hand on Punk's knee.

"So Punk, dad tells me you're going to be looking at places to open up a new club" Mia said to him

"Yea" Punk said looking at the menu

"If you and Dean go to the new club whose going to run SXS?" she asked him curiously

"I was actually thinking AJ" Punk said and AJ almost choked on her water

"I can't run a club" AJ said to him

"You'll be managing it" Punk said to her "It's easy- Dean does it"

"That is true" Dean grinned

"I work for Elliot" AJ reminded him

"And I'm sure he'd hate to see you go but you'd be making a lot more money working for me" Punk said to her

"I like my job" AJ said to him

"Working at the club is fun too" Dean said to her "It's like getting paid to party"

"I don't party" she frowned

"I know that's why you're perfect" Punk smiled at her

"Where you going to even ask me? Or where you planning on just telling me?" AJ asked

"Of course I planned on discussing it with you" Punk chuckled "I didn't think you'd care. Don't you want more money? And you'd have more time to work on your writing. You'd only work at night"

"And you're ok with that?" Mia asked surprised "AJ working at a club by herself at night?"

"Who said she'd be by herself?" Punk mocked "Roman will be there and he'll be with AJ every minute she's there"

"So you've actually planned this out?" AJ asked him

"Yea" he said to her "Elliot is fine with it too"

"You spoke to my boss?" AJ asked horrified

"I spoke to my father" Punk smirked "There's difference"

"Not to me" AJ said to him "I can't believe you spoke to him before him"

"Nothing is set in stone" Punk said to her "And technically you'd still be working for him. Consider it a promotion."

"It would be so much fun to go to the club without either of these two there" Mia said giving it thought

"Roman would still be there" Dean reminded her

"It's still very early" Punk said to AJ

"Closer really because Dad asked me to put a offer in on a potential spot" Mia said to him "Not two blocks from Seth's club"

"He's going fucking flip" Dean grinned happily

"So are you doing this to just piss him off?" AJ asked him

"No I'm doing this to put him out of business once and for all" Punk said to her "His seedy fucking club is trouble and if I could help put it out of business I will"

"He's going to give you trouble" Mia warned

"Good" Punk smiled

"Celeste said she thinks Randy has been hanging out there a lot more" AJ said to him

"He probably has" Punk remarked "Don't go to that club looking for him" he said seriously

"I'm not" she said annoyed

"Hold on did I just ask you not to do something and you just agreed?" Punk asked stunned

"Yes" she mocked

"I'll have Randy keep an eye out" Punk said to her "The more he hangs out there the less I like that he has a key to your place"

"You never liked it to begin with" AJ said to him

"All I need is for him to bring some of those dirt bags to your place" Punk said bitterly

"He's right" Mia said to her "Normally Punk is crazy and over reacts but he's not wrong. Everyone there is bad news"

"He doesn't bring people over" AJ smirked "It's fine"

"We'll see" Punk mumbled looking over the menu

* * *

Once they got back to AJ's place it was quiet.

"Celeste isn't here?" Punk asked taking off his jacket

"Her bag is here, she's probably in her room with Randy- his car is outside" she said to him

"Wonderful" Punk remarked "Let's go to my place"

"I pay rent here" she laughed wrapping her arms around him and looking up at him "I'd like for it to be worth it"

"So don't pay rent here anymore" Punk said to her "Move in with me"

"What?" she laughed

"Live with me" he said to her "You already spend all of your time there"

"Celeste needs me to help her make rent" AJ said to him "I can't just leave her"

"She can find a new roommate" Punk said to her "I want you with me" he said kissing her

"We've only been together for like two months" she reminded him

"So?" Punk asked

"It's fast" She said to him

"You don't think we'll last?" Punk questioned

"Of course I do" she said to him "It's just…what would people think?" she asked

"Who cares?" Punk asked "We're not normal AJ" he reminded her causing her to smile because he was so right "I want to go to sleep with you every night, wake up next to you in the morning, come home to you" he said to her "Living separately is so stupid"

"I would jump at this and say yes" AJ said to him but he sensed her hesitation "I can't just ditch Celeste I'm sorry"

"Can you at least talk to her?" Punk asked "Tell her I'm pushing you into this so maybe she can think of alternatives or I'll pay your side of the rent for as long as she needs"

"She'll never agree to that" she laughed "If you think I'm thick headed then you don't know Celeste very well. But I'll mention it to her"

"Good" he said to her "Now where's my reward for behaving during dinner?"

"Oh I almost forgot" she said grabbing his hand and walking him into her bedroom.

AJ closed the door behind her and locked it. Punk kicked off his shoes and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Perfect" she said to him "Stay just like that" she said to him as she walked over to her dresser "Actually you can lose the clothing" as she glanced over he was already stripping before the words even left her mouth.

"Where are you going?" he asked her as she grabbed something out of her drawer

"I have to get changed" she said to him

"Pointless" Punk said to her

"Relax you'll like it" she assured him "Could you grab some lotion out of that top drawer?" she asked pointing to it "I'll be right back" she snuck out of the room and Punk opened the door and found the lotion then smiled pulling out her vibrator.

A few minutes later AJ stepped inside wearing a black lace teddy, matching thong and stockings.

"You like?" she asked twirling in front of him. He looked down at his very hard member then back up at her.

"What do you think?" he asked seriously "Got the lotion by the way" he said to her "And this" he said holding up her vibrator

"No" she said trying to snatch it from him but he moved it behind his back.

"No, no I like having this" Punk grinned "You still use it?"

"Maybe" she said to him

"You feel the need to still use this even though you're with me?" he asked skeptically

"You're not here every night" she reminded him

"If you live with me you'll never need this again" Punk reminded her and watched as she fell to her knees on the floor and sat up.

"I've been waiting for this" AJ said to him

"I'm pretty sure you've done this before" Punk reminded her

"You've never let me finish" she said to him "This is your reward" she began to stroke him and he watched her carefully as she lowered her mouth and didn't suck on him but rather french kissed him slowly. She continued to stroke him and then licked the head of him causing him to hiss slightly.

"Babe-" he started but that's when she lowered her face and took him into her mouth slowly. She looked up at him as she sucked over him seductively and dug her nails into his thighs. Punk was trying to behave and not push into her mouth but he was getting antsy. He wanted to destroy her mouth but he didn't want to scare her. She grabbed his hands and placed them on the side of her head and nodded at him. She wanted him to control this. She pulled away briefly and licked her lips, "I trust you baby" she assured him then he pulled her head down and began to control her movements as gently as possible. His fingers knotted in her ear as she took everything he offered her and he began to arch into her mouth. When he felt himself hit the back of her throat he knew he was done but he didn't want it to end like this. He released her and forced her to look up at him.

"Come up here" He said to her but she just shook her head no. She continued to stroke him until he released her hair and took him back into her mouth until he came, which he did roughly. She didn't stop until she milked him dry, once satisfied she stood back on her feet and wiped her mouth with her fingers and placed them into her mouth.

"That was amazing" she said to him "You taste as good as I imagined" Punk was lying on his back catching his breath and felt her crawl over his body. "You ok baby?" she cooed practically. But he didn't respond he just sat up as she was straddling him so they were nose to nose. "How'd I do?" she asked curiously

"You did…so fucking good" he said kissing the corner of her mouth. "But now you need to turn me on again" he said to her

"I think I can handle that" she said to him

"I know what would help that along" he said reaching for her vibrator

"You want me to jerk off in front of you?" she laughed

"No I want to jerk you off" He said against her cheek before kissing it. He didn't wait for her to respond and pushed her panties aside and could feel how wet she was. He turned on the item and placed it into her body. "You like that?" he asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder. She nodded and moaned lightly. He gently pushed her back so she'd arch further into him and the object and she let out such a loud moan he knew she was getting there. His free hand moved to her ass and squeezed her left cheek as hard as he could without hurting her causing her to jerk straight into his body.

"Jesus" She moaned "It doesn't work like this for me" she muttered as she lifted her head and looked between their bodies.

"Just feel it" he said to her. He knew her body so well and moved his hand over her clit and began to massage her.

"It's too much" she cried

"No it's good" he said to her "Let go you'll feel so much better"

"I don't want to" she argued as she continued to roll into his body as well. She could feel was hard again as well and that only further turned her on. His mouth moved over her breast and tugged the lace down so her right breast popped out and he began to lick and suck on her sensitive nipple. "Phil" she cried out but he didn't stop until she lost herself completely which she did.

She was on such a pleasure high she thought she'd fall right off of him and hit the floor but he held her tightly against him. He removed the vibrator and looked her in the eyes

"Ok?" he asked and she nodded

"I love you" she said sweetly and kissed him with such passion that if he wasn't hard before he would have been.

"Are you ready sweetheart?" he asked her gently "I need you"

"Yes" she said and felt him raise her hips she slowly and carefully lowered herself onto him until he couldn't go any further. "You fit me" she said to him before she moved "It's like we're a puzzle"

"I know baby" he said to her and kissed her jaw line until he reached her lips. While kissing her both his hands moved to her butt and squeezed it telling her that he needed her to move which she began to do.

The moaning, groaning, panting and skin slapping was so loud she was sure Celeste and Randy were hearing everything but AJ didn't care. She wanted to stay like this with him forever and now more than ever she wanted to tell him to forget what she said earlier- she'll live with him. She didn't want to be apart for him and it didn't matter what people thought about that because she was absolutely crazy about this man.

Punk fell onto his back while AJ placed her hands on his chest and used it as leverage to lift herself up and down. He wanted to badly to slow her down but when he looked up at her he was frozen, she was the beautiful woman he had ever seen. He didn't want any other woman ever again. She was it for him, he was going to marry this woman day. He quickly rolled her onto her back now and lifted his upper body up while his lower body pushed into hers as hard as he possibly could.

"I don't want to hurt you" he forced out but he also didn't want to slow down, he wanted to give her everything he had.

"You're not" she cried as her eyes closed tightly, she had to be feeling discomfort but she begged him to keep going. "Oh my god!" she screamed out as she climaxed around his body which pushed him into his own climax. He collapsed straight onto her body, both covered in sweat and unable to move.

"That was so good" She said running her hand up and down his back.

"Glad you approve" He chuckled into her hair. "You are so great baby" he said kissing her neck then pulled out of her and rolled onto his back.

"Ok" she said to him

"What?" he asked looking over to her while still on his back

"I'll live with you" She said looking over as well


	17. Tension In The Air

**A/N: Sorry for the delay but I'm sure some of you had seen on Twitter I'm having laptop problems. Updates may take a little time because of that. Thank you all for patience and as always thanks for all your reviews! I appreciate it very much :)**

* * *

**Tension In The Air**

* * *

The next morning Punk was shocked he had woken up before his girlfriend. She was usually the first up and running around. He pulled away from her carefully and crawled out of the bed slowly, careful not to wake her and put on his boxers and walked out of her room, closing the door behind him.

"Morning" Randy greeted from the counter where he was sipping on coffee and reading the paper.

"Right" Punk forced out grabbing a coffee mug for himself "Can I ask you something?" he asked looking over his shoulder to Randy briefly while pouring himself coffee.

"Sure" Randy shrugged

"Are you stupid?" he asked casually leaning against the opposite counter.

"Excuse me?" Randy chuckled

"Why would you tell AJ's brother where to find her?" Punk asked him "Are you just so oblivious to her safety or are you that fucking stupid?"

"It's not my job to hold your girlfriends hand" Randy informed him "How was I supposed to know who that guy was?"

"So if any strange person drops you're ok with giving out AJ's personal information?" Punk asked narrowing his eyes at him

"What's the big deal?" Randy laughed

"The big deal is you have no idea what you started" Punk said to him "Stay out of her fucking business"

"Woah I was doing her a favor" Randy shot at him

"Don't do her anymore favors" Punk warned him

"What is your deal man?" Randy finally asked "Why are you always giving me a hard time?"

"Because I don't like you" Punk said honestly "I don't like your attitude and I don't like the people you hang around"

"Are you talking about Seth?" Randy asked "He said you two were practically family"

"He's as full shit as you are" Punk smirked then sipped his coffee

"Look I get that you don't like me but I'm here so you're just going to have to deal with me" Randy told him bluntly

"We'll see about that" Punk smirked

"Is that a threat?" Randy asked more abused than anything

"Hey guys" AJ said nervously as she entered the tension filled kitchen

"Morning beautiful" Punk smiled

"Hey AJ" Randy greeted

"Coffee?" Punk asked pulling down a mug for her

"Please" She smiled shyly

"Late night?" Randy asked her

"No just an early morning" She said politely and looked towards Punk who was still looking towards Randy.

"I'm heading out" Randy said closing the paper "See you later AJ" he said then walked out the door.

"Hate that guy" Punk mumbled

"Can't you just be civil?" AJ asked him "He's important to Celeste who is important to me"

"Celeste could do better" Punk said to her "Introduce her to Devon"

"I don't know" AJ chuckled "I don't think Celeste is really Devon's type"

"She's the type girl Devon needs" Punk said to her "But regardless you won't be around him for much longer anyway"

"I haven't even spoken to Celeste yet" AJ reminded him "I'm not anywhere until I know she's ok"

"Talk to her" Punk said simply

"I will" She said to him "I'm going to invite her to lunch today and ask her-"

"Tell her" he corrected

"Tell her I'm moving out" AJ said to him "Whenever she's ok with it"

"Like I said I'll gladly pay your half of the rent" Punk said to her

"Yea, yea I'm sure she'll love that" AJ mocked "So speaking of me living with you do I get to bring my stuff?"

"Yea I was kind of hoping you would" Punk teased

"No I mean I have furniture here and pictures" she said to him

"Bring it" Punk said to her "Anything you want"

"Are you sure? You have a very bland style" she pointed out

"I won't you to feel at home as I do" Punk said to her

"I've never had a home" AJ reminded him "I don't even know what the feels like"

" You don't consider this place to be your home?" Punk asked

"We moved out of the dorms and into six different apartments since school" AJ told him "I haven't lived anywhere longer than seven months"

"Well that's going to change" Punk said to her "Whatever you to bring or change is up to you"

"It's your home" she said to him

"My home is wherever you are" he said sweetly causing her to smile instantly

"For someone who told me he wasn't romantic or did relationships you're doing a great job" she informed him

"I'm trying" Punk smiled

* * *

Meeting over lunch with Celeste was completely nerve wrecking. AJ was at her desk waiting for 12 to go meet with her and she just wasn't sure how to tell the one constant in her life she'd be leaving.

"This place is amazing" Celeste beamed walking towards her desk "I'd give up my job too to work here"

"It is pretty great, isn't it?" AJ smiled standing up and grabbing her jacket

"This building is like ten years set in the future" she said to her with a laugh "Oh and I met Maria on my way in she is so sweet"

"She is" AJ agreed "Ready for lunch?"

"Sure but do you want to tell me whatever it is you're dreading on telling me so we can at least enjoy our lunch?" Celeste asked her

"What?" AJ asked caught off guard

"I know you better than anyone even better than Punk" Celeste reminded her "You have something you want to say just say it."

"Celeste-" she started

"Heading out?" Elliot asked stepping out of his office

"I was about to, need anything?" AJ asked him

"No just checking in" Elliot smiled and walked over to the two

"Elliot this is my friend Celeste" AJ introduced the two "This is my boss and Punk's dad" she said to Celeste who shook his hand

"It's nice to finally meet you" Elliot smiled "AJ has told me so much about you"

"Same here" Celeste said kindly

"Enjoy your lunch girls" Elliot said to the two then walked towards the elevators

"Phil asked me to live with him" AJ said to Celeste quickly "I told him yes but it doesn't have to happen tomorrow I can take as much time as you need to find a new roommate or a smaller place and if you're not ok with this-"

"Relax" Celeste laughed "First of all congratulations" she said giving her a quick hug "Don't worry about me go on and do what you have to"

"I'm not leaving you a tough spot" AJ argued

"It's fine" Celeste assured her "I'll figure it out. You deserve to be happy and clearly Punk makes you happy"

"He really does" AJ smiled

"Yea I know I heard you two last night" she said with an eye-roll

"Sorry" AJ mouthed blushing slightly

"It's fine" Celeste laughed "Hey maybe this will be good for me and Randy, maybe he'll move in"

"Is that what you want?" AJ asked unsurely

"We've been doing really good" Celeste told her and AJ just nodded "You used to like him"

"I didn't know him" AJ reminded her "I just think you could do ten times better"

"Why? Because Punk says so?" Celeste asked

"No it's just-" AJ started

"I have been nothing supportive of you and your whirlwind relationship" Celeste pointed out "You're about to move in with a guy you barely know- a man who is hell bent on controlling you-"

"That's not true" AJ defended folding her arms "You don't know him, you don't even make an effort to speak to him when he's over"

"The same could be said for Randy" Celeste fired back

"You can't really compare the two" AJ argued defensively

"Why? Because your boyfriend has a lot of money he's better than mine?" Celeste asked

"I didn't say that" AJ said to her

"I find Punk's obsession with you cute and all but you still don't know him well enough to trust everything he says to you" Celeste pointed out

"Phil has proven time and time again that he has my best interests at heart" AJ defended

"This is so classic AJ" Celeste laughed "You used to do this with your foster families, the first time one showed you a little decency you thought that was it- you had a family. But they failed you each and every time because you-" Celeste eyed her fuming friend and decided to stop

"Say it" AJ challenged

"You're a little naïve when it comes to people" Celeste said bluntly "Go on and live with your boyfriend you have my full support but don't you dare belittle my boyfriend in the process"

"Maybe you should go" AJ said looking away from her friend

"I think you're right" Celeste said then stormed off

* * *

Later that night AJ went home but the tension with Celeste was still there so she called a cab and headed over to Punk's. She knew he was going to be home tonight because he had a lot of phone conferences and wouldn't be able to do them at the club. She also knew he wasn't expecting her and hoped he wouldn't mind her dropping by. She rang the bell twice before he answered. He looked amazing in loose jeans and a band t-shirt.

"AJ" he said surprised stepping aside to let her in. "Everything ok?"

"Yea I just didn't want to be alone tonight, is it ok I stopped by?" she asked unsurely

"Of course" Punk said closing the door "How did you get here?"

"I took a cab" she shrugged as she took her jacket off

"I would have picked you up" Punk frowned hanging her jacket up and grabbed her hand and walked her over to the couch "I'm not going to be much company tonight because I'm waiting on some calls"

"That's ok" AJ said to him as he plopped next to her on the couch.

"What's bothering you?" he asked already knowing something was off "Did you talk to Celeste?"

"Yea" AJ said quietly

"Didn't go so well?" Punk inquired

"She was really supportive of me living with you" AJ told him "But then she mentioned Randy maybe moving in with her and I wasn't as supportive I guess"

"You're entitled to your opinion" Punk shrugged

"So is she" AJ mumbled

"She think we're moving to fast?" Punk asked

"Yea and I really have no place judging her relationship" AJ told him "I hate fighting with her"

"It happens" Punk said to her "People fight sometimes, especially people you live with"

"She thinks I'm being naïve" AJ admitted "Latching on to you the way I latched on to foster families"

"With all due respect to your friend she doesn't know the first thing about us or me for that matter" Punk said to her "Do you think moving in here is a mistake?"

"No" she said to him

"So fuck what she thinks" Punk said simply "You know what you want and I know what I want- what does it matter?"

"What is it you want?" she asked him

"You" he said with a smile "Morning, day &amp; night. In my home, in my bed, in my shower" he said kissing her then pulled on "…on my couch" he then pushed her down and pinned her to the couch.

"You have to work" she giggled as he kissed down her neck and began to unbutton her top

"It can wait" he said as rested between her legs. As if on cue his phone began to ring but he ignored it.

"That could be important" she laughed as he kissed over her breast. She reached over and picked up his phone "Phil Brooks' phone" she greeted and then he bit her over her bra causing her to jerk up and thrash her pelvis into his. "…yes he's right here" she said pulling the phone away from her "Stop" she whispered with a laugh "It's an investor"

"Take a message" he said as he fully unbuttoned her now and unzipped her jeans

"Phil" she warned forcing the phone to him. He sighed and took the phone but remained on top of her body

"Yea" Punk greeted. He began to ramble on to whoever was on the phone but that didn't stop him from pleasing her. He slipped his hand under her jeans and panties and palmed her delicate flesh.

"Phil" She hissed wanting to stop him but loving his touch too much.

"Yea that sounds about right…." Punk said into the phone as he now slipped a finger into her body. She bit her lip to suppress her moan. "…I can't pull that up right now my hands are kind of full" he said seriously causing AJ to giggle quietly. He added another finger into the mix and she pressed her into the couch and grabbed a pillow to hold it over her face so she wouldn't be heard. "…hold on a sec let me put you on speaker phone" he said and AJ tossed the pillow off of her face and mouthed 'no' to him and shook her head at him but he just grinned and turned the phone on speaker and placed it on the side table. "Go ahead Jerry read me those files now" he said to him.

Punk could care less about what was being said on the phone. He lowered AJ pants and underwear and continued to move his fingers into her. He lightly kissed down her torso while the poor man on the phone spoke to Punk who was clearly not listening. Punk stepped up his game by placing his thumb over her clit and began to massage her there. She quickly placed her arm into her mouth and bit down hard causing him to laugh lightly. He moved her arm away and replaced it with his own hand and she was relieved for that.

"That all sounds great" Punk said loud enough for the speakerphone to pick it up. The man began to talk to him about liquor licensing's and he just rolled his eyes. With Punk's hand tightly over her mouth and his other hand inside her body practically she was getting close. She wasn't sure if she wanted arch into him or rub against his hand so she tried for both causing him to smirk at her confusion. He leaned down and placed his fingers over her ear. "Cum" he demanded in harsh whisper. Her eyes widened as he bit down on her earlobe (the man sure loved to bite). His fingers and thumb moved quickly and a few seconds later she climaxed. She was relieved for his hand covering his mouth even though she did try to keep it down herself.

"Are you listening?" the man asked Punk

"Every word" Punk said as removed his hand from AJ's mouth. "I was just getting something to drink" he said into the phone while shooting a smirk at AJ. He pulled his fingers out of her and placed them into his mouth.

"You're going to pay for that" AJ whispered to him as she pulled her pants back and he sat up right

"Looking forward to it" Punk said loudly and AJ's eyes widened

"I knew you would!" the man cheered over the phone thinking Punk was referring to him. People could say whatever they wanted about Punk but he was certainly a very smooth individual. AJ was in awe of him as she sat up and began buttoning her top. He was now morphed back into business mode and took the boring investor off of speaker.

AJ was in awe of this man who took her into his life and made her so happy. She wanted to spend every night like this with him, she didn't even care that he was having the worlds most boring conversation. She couldn't help but smile while he spoke with such passion for a business he didn't love. But he loved Elliot so he had given his all to this, he was the most admirable man she had ever met. She not only wanted to live with this man, she wanted to spend every day for the rest of her life with him.


	18. True Colors

**True Colors**

* * *

AJ returned home the following night after work. She still wasn't sure where she stood with Celeste but she knew she'd have to go back eventually at least to pack her things. When she walked into the apartment she saw Randy with a few boxes.

"She returns" Randy teased "Celeste has been worried about you"

"She could have called" AJ replied coolly

"Well I for one am sick of this little disagreement you two are having" Randy said to her with a laugh

"What are you doing?" AJ asked referring to the boxes

"Moving in" Randy said and AJ just nodded "It was perfect timing actually but I don't want you to feel forced out anytime soon because you're more than welcome to stay"

"How thoughtful" AJ mumbled "Where is Celeste?"

"She went to the store" Randy said to her "So where's your boyfriend?"

"At work" AJ said simply

"Old club or the new one he's putting in right by Seth's place?" Randy asked

"I don't know what you're talking about" AJ said innocently

"Right" Randy chuckled "Seth is a little more well connected then you think"

"So is Phil" AJ said proudly

"I'm not going to get into a debate with you over this guy but seriously how well do you even know him?" Randy questioned

"I'm not going to discuss this with you" AJ mumbled feeling a case of déjà vu from her previous conversation with Celeste.

"Right" Randy smirked "AJ you're a very beautiful girl" he said to her honestly "I'd hate to see you settling for a guy just because he has cash"

"Are you accusing me of being a gold digger?" she asked astonished

"No of course not" Randy defended "It's just very odd. I've known you for a little while now and you've never had a guy longer than one night and now you're not only in a relationship but you're moving into his home. I just hope this is something you really want and something you're not being forced into to"

"Why would Phil force me to live with him?" AJ asked with a laugh

"The man likes control in every sense of the word" Randy said to him

"Again you don't know him" AJ defended

"I can hear him" Randy smirked "I mean if you're looking for a guy to give it to you hard in bed there's other options out there" he said leaning into her personal space. AJ was uncomfortable but then something popped into her head.

"And you could?" AJ asked nervously looking into his eyes

"You bet your ass I can" Randy grinned

"What about Celeste?" AJ questioned

"You two aren't even talking" Randy smirked "And it's not like we're going to tell her…." He said to her "Just one time and I promise you that I will make you forget all about Punk" AJ knew she was being played, Seth's buddy Randy trying to get her into bed but if this was an opportunity to prove to Celeste she was making a mistake she'd play along. He leaned in closer to her face but she turned her cheek.

"Not here" AJ said to him "Celeste will be back any minute"

"Where?" Randy asked

"I'll text you" AJ said to him "It can't be here"

"I'm going to fuck you so hard you won't be able to walk for a week" he warned and while AJ felt like vomiting at the comment she just smiled

"I hope so" she grinned and that's when Celeste walked in

"What's going on?" Celeste asked

"I was just trying to smooth things over for you two" Randy defended

"I think I can handle that myself" Celeste smiled "I'm glad you came back" she said to AJ "And I want to apologize for what I said-"

"Me too" AJ said to her

"I am happy for you" Celeste said to her "Punk is a great guy"

"So is Randy" AJ forced out smiling towards him

* * *

Over the weekend AJ was moving into Punk's place officially not wanting to stay at her old place with Randy in the next room. It was set to be her last night at Celeste's and even though she was going to miss her she couldn't wait to be living with Punk.

"Careful with that box" AJ said to him as Punk moved one of her boxes to the door

"What the hell is in it? Rocks?" Punk grunted dropping the box to the ground

"Books" She said to him

"You have a lot of books" Punk said scratching the back of his head "I mean at least ten boxes you already brought over are all books"

"I'm a writer Phil" she reminded him

"It's fine" Punk said to her "I just want to make sure we put them in a good place"

"You can keep them in the garage" she said to him "I don't need them displayed or anything. If I want to read one I'll take it out of the box"

"I'm sure I have more than enough room for your books" he smirked "So I'm almost afraid to ask" he started as he took another box from AJ and moved it away "What's going on with Randy?"

"What do you mean?" AJ asked innocently

"He didn't even acknowledge you existed tonight" Punk noted

"Isn't that what you want?" AJ asked him

"Yes which is why I find it so odd" Punk frowned "Something happen? You two have a fight?"

"No" she said to him "You're really not going to like it"

"I didn't think I would" Punk muttered and took a seat on the bed "Alright tell me"

"Promise me you'll let me finish everything I say before you explode" she warned

"I'm really not going to like this" he said to her and she nodded giving him a weak smile "Fine, talk to me"

AJ explained her entire conversation with Randy and clued him on her plane to get Celeste to dump Randy and to Punk's credit he didn't jump in and let her tell him the entire story.

"So what do you think?" AJ asked

"You really don't know me well enough to know what I think?" Punk asked with a laugh "No way" he said still laughing "I mean you're joking right?"

"No" AJ frowned

"You really think I'm going to let you do this?" he asked amused leaning back on the bed and placing his hands behind his head

"It's for Celeste" She reminded him

"I don't care who its for" Punk said to her "What if Celeste doesn't show up when you want her to?"

"Then I stall" She shrugs

"What if he doesn't stop?" Punk questioned "He's a big guy AJ"

"I'll be fine" AJ promised

"I know you will be because you're not doing it" Punk chuckled

"You can't tell me no" AJ said firmly causing Punk to arch his brow

"This isn't some sort of weird control thing" Punk said sitting up again "What you're doing is stupid. You're leading on some horny fucking pervert. Just tell Celeste her disgusting boyfriend wants to fuck you. That should be enough"

"It won't be" AJ argued "I'm telling you she won't believe me she has to see it!"

"What makes you think she'll see him humping at your leg and blame him? Maybe she'll blame you too. You could ruin your friendship forever over this" Punk pointed out

"It's a risk I'm willing to take" AJ said to him

"It's not one I'm willing to take" Punk said to her "And where you going to tell me you were planning on renting a hotel room with Randy?"

"Of course" she said to him "You have nothing to worry about, I can handle Randy"

"No AJ" he said shaking his head at her "I don't like it"

"Celeste is moving this man into her home and obviously he's bad news" AJ whispered so neither would hear them discussing this from her bedroom "I have to at least try"

"Can't you do this an easier way?" Punk asked

"I'll invite him up to the room and Celeste will already be there" AJ said to him "I'm never going to even be alone with him. I would never put myself in that position. I haven't it all planned out. I'll explain it all to her and then Randy will come to the door it's perfect!"

"Do you even hear yourself?" Punk asked "No" He said to her

"You can be there" AJ said to him and his eyes widened with surprise

"So you want me there as a witness to that juice head trying to fuck you so I can be arrested for assault or worse, murder?" he asked seriously

"It's not going to get that far and this will prove it" AJ said to him "I need to look out for my friend she's been my only friend and I don't feel right leaving her here with him. Something is off about him and it's more than just being friends with Seth"

"Do you have any idea how sick in the head Seth is?" Punk asked her "I mean you think I'm controlling have a conversation with Seth. He used to tell Mia what to wear, when she could work- it was horrible. And the people he hangs around are just that"

"All the more reason I can't let Celeste move this man into her home" AJ pointed out "I have to help" she said firmly

"I don't want to talk about this anymore tonight" Punk groaned "My back hurts too much to fight with you right now just know that it's not going to happen. I don't even like the idea of you letting him think he has some sort of a chance"

"You will break" she teased and he rolled her underneath himself and hovered above her. "Thought your back hurt"

"It does but I can handle the pain" he smirked and just as he was about to kiss her she turned her head

"We can't, not here at least" AJ whispered

"Why?" Punk asked with a defeated sigh

"He listens" she whispered

"I'm sorry what?" Punk asked angrily

"He listens to us" She said to him

"I'm going to-" Punk started getting off of her but she grabbed his wrist

"It's my last night here just leave it alone" AJ said to him "I don't want it to end in a blood bath"

"Well I'm staying the night then" Punk said to her "I don't trust he wont try to crawl into your bed while you're sleeping." He said to her

"I thought you were going to bring over my boxes?" AJ asked

"I can do that tomorrow" he said to her "Speaking of tomorrow before you go into work Elliot needs you to look at something"

"He didn't mention that" AJ said confused

"I know which is why I'm telling you now" Punk said to her "It's like a field trip"

"How do I know where I'm going?" she asked with a laugh

"I'll take you" he said to her with a smile

* * *

The next morning Punk drove AJ across town and she was confused when they got out of the car.

"What's this?" AJ asked

"My new club" he smirked pulling out a set of keys and opening the door for her "The sale was just finalized"

"Congratulations" AJ cheered giving him a kiss as they walked in. The place looked to have been abandoned, covered in dust and garbage.

"The team is moving in to clean it up later this week" Punk said to her

"It's huge" AJ grinned "I think it's going to be great"

"I'm glad you think so" Punk said to her as he watched her look around the place "I decided it's not going to be a replica of SXS either. It's not going to be some preppy dance club either. Right over there" He said pointing to the back of the club "That's where the stage is going to be"

"You're going to have live music?" AJ asked him

"Every weekend" Punk said to her "Live rock bands" he said happily

"Really?" AJ asked with a smile

"Yes. You know I thought about what you said about doing something I love and I love music" Punk said to her "I spoke to Elliot and wanted to make this club stand out from any other place. I also have a lot of friends bands and that's going to help with the promotion of the club. On weekdays we're going to have local bands and musicians"

"That's so smart" AJ said t him "I'm so excited for you!"

"And the best part? No dress code" Punk grinned

"Finally" she smiled

"And I want you here" Punk said to her

"I thought you wanted me at SXS?" AJ asked

"I changed my mind. This isn't Dean's scene and besides I'm going to spend a lot of time here and I want to spend it with you" he said to her "You'd do better in this environment"

"I don't know" AJ said shaking her head "I mean I think I'd be better at a place that is already solid and there's minimum chance I can kill the business"

"You're one of the smartest women I know" Punk said to her "I trust you"

"I don't trust myself" She said to him "This is going to be your baby"

"No you're my baby" he teased causing her to roll her eyes "This is just a job. And I think we could make it fun for each other"

"I still don't feel right about leaving Elliot" AJ said to him

"You're not leaving him" He reminded her "It's like getting a promotion. Besides he's all for it. It was actually his idea to have you here rather than SXS. So what do you say? See? I'm asking first" he smiled proudly

"I see that" she smirked "I say…" she looked around the dingy club and smiled to herself "Ok"

"Yea?" Punk asked trying not to sound too excited

"Yes" She confirmed and he threw his arms around her

"You won't regret this" he promised her and gave her a kiss "This is going to be our place"

"Are you sure you want to go into business with me? I don't know much about it" She reminded him

"I'll teach you" he said to her "And I know you can do this. I wouldn't just offer this to you because we're dating"

"Are you sure?" She asked

"Yes" he assured her "I don't just love you because you're beautiful, you're smart, passionate and creative. I need and want that on my team"

"You have it" she smiled sweetly "Thank you for this"

"I should be thanking you" he said running his hand down her back and stopped at her ass. "And I plan on it"

"Phil" She laughed lightly as he walked her over to the bar until her lower back hit it. He began to kiss her roughly and her will to fight him on this ended. He placed his hands on her hips and lifted her onto the bar. He reached under her black work dress and tugged down her panties. "This is so bad, even for us" she muttered as he sucked over her pulse point.

"We're christening our new club" Punk defended "Nothing wrong with that"

"It's nine in the morning and anyone could walk in" she reminded him

"Nah no one's coming in here" He said to her then pulled away and frowned.

"What, what's wrong?" she asked

"The bar is too high for me" Punk said then pointed to the top of the bar "Lay down"

"Oh Phil I don't-" she started but he pulled her into another kiss and laid her against the bar and crawled over her body. He pulled her dress up as far as it could go

"Even laying on this filthy bar with swollen lips are you still the most beautiful woman in the world" he told her as he gazed into her eyes. "You have no idea how happy I am you're going to do this with me"

"Don't ever leave me" AJ said out of nowhere and he frowned slightly

"You never have to ask me that" Punk promised. Even being in a dinghy dirty place, Punk could just say the most romantic things and make her feel so right. She moved her hands to his shorts and tugged them down and he smiled as she took him into her hands and began to pleasure him in the only way he ever wanted to be pleasured anymore.

Punk moved her hands off of himself and she held onto each side of the bar as he lifted her one of her legs over his shoulder and entered her swiftly.

"That's it" AJ moaned as he lifted her leg a little more and rammed into her causing her cried to echo in the large empty building. Punk always found it impossible to close his eyes because watching her was just as amazing as the actual process. Punk hand tangled in her hair as he moved into her body as hard and as far as he could go.

"So tight" he muttered against her skin, unable to kiss her due to the intensity of being inside of her. "So fucking perfect" he said to himself. He felt his own release coming and moved faster now, she had climaxed a few thrusts earlier but he was so close he couldn't slow down and didn't until he released deep into her body.

After collecting themselves AJ went into the bathroom to clean herself up and came out with an annoyed look on her face.

"What?" Punk asked with a laugh at her adorably annoyed face.

"You got dust on the back of my dress" she said turning around and sure enough it was covered in dust. "I can't go to work looking like this"

"Come here" He laughed waving her over placing his cell phone on one of the few small tables there. She stood in front of him and he turned her around and used his hand to clean the dust off of her.

"Phil" She warned feeling him spending too much time on her ass.

"I'm just making sure it's all off" he defended. AJ heard her phone vibrating on the bar from she was and pulled away from him.

"It's probably your dad looking for where I am" AJ warned him

"Just tell him I fucked you on the bar of the club" Punk said to her calmly and she shot him a horrified face. "Kidding" he laughed. She picked up her phone and her eyes widened. "Who is it?" he asked

"I don't think I have to go through with that Randy plan anymore" she said to him and passed him her phone.

* * *

Celeste was unpacking some of Randy's boxes for him since he was at work. She was really going to miss AJ and was already dreading asking Randy to move in. It was like she was trying to prove a point to AJ. When someone loudly banged at the door it startled her. She walked over and was surprised to see Punk, as she opened the door he walked right past her and looked around her place.

"Where is he?" Punk asked her

"Randy? He's at the gym" Celeste said to him "Why?"

"I need to have a talk with him about him sending inappropriate crude shit to my girlfriend" He seethed

"What are you talking about?" Celeste asked and Punk passed her a phone she recognized to be AJ's. She looked at the screen and her eyes widened. "This is a mistake" she said passing Punk back the phone "He never would have sent that to her"

"Read the phone number and look at the picture, I'm sure you know what your boyfriend's dick looks like" he spat pushing the phone back into her hands and she looked at it again.

"Why did he send this to her?" Celeste asked him "He wouldn't just do send something like this-"

"What the fuck does it matter why he sent it?" Punk hissed "Get it through your head Celeste this guy is a piece of shit and this should prove it to you. I tried to be respectful to him out of respect for AJ because of you but it's done. You tell Orton I'm looking for him" he warned her taking the phone back from her "Don't worry I'll forward you the photo and message so you can remember that the guy you're laying next to every night is fucking horny predator" he then stormed out of place leaving Celeste speechless.

When Randy came into the house later that night he saw a bunch of garbage bags by the door.

"Babe?" Randy asked and she walked out of her bedroom "What is this?"

"Your stuff" She said to him "I was going to toss it on the lawn but I didn't want to embarrass myself. Get out"

"What? Why?" Randy asked

"Why?" Celeste asked as tears fell from her eyes. "I saw what you sent to AJ!" she yelled

"What are you talking about?" Randy questioned

"Your dick picture Randy" she said disgusted and picked up her phone "You left these behind in the move, thinking of you while I sniff them" she quoted reading the lines under the photo "That's under the picture of you holding your penis and my best friends underwear!" she screamed

"Hold on" Randy laughed "I didn't do that"

"I know what you look like!" she yelled "I found her underwear in your drawer!"

"She came onto me last week when I was moving in here" Randy told her and she narrowed her eyes at him "She said she wanted to sleep with me-"

"She told me all about it Randy" Celeste said to him "I just got off the phone with her after I apologized for ever defending you and I hate to break it to you but she only did that because she wanted to prove to me what an ass you truly are!"

"No she wanted me and got caught" Randy said with a smirk

"She willingly showed Punk her phone, why would she do that? And by the way she told him about her little plan too" Celeste fired off at him "And even if she did want you you're the one sending pervy photos! It's still wrong! Get out!" she yelled pointing at the door

"I'm not going anywhere" Randy said to her locking the door


	19. Real Life

**Real Life**

* * *

AJ was on the floor in the closet as she unpacked her many pairs of converse shoes. She realized there was simply not enough space in the large closet for them and frowned.

"Phil!" She yelled out but he didn't respond. She stood up and grabbed a box of her shoes and walked down the hall to a spare bedroom but it was locked.

"Hey what's up?" Punk asked walking towards her

"I was going to put some of my extra stuff in this room but it's locker" She frowned

"Oh that room isn't for storage" Punk said taking the box from her and walked into his office with it

"What's it for?" she asked

"It's under construction" Punk said to her

"For what?" she questioned

"It's a surprise" he said to her

"I'll get more into that later" AJ said to him as he followed her into their bedroom. "Can I borrow your car?"

"I have three cars, you can have one" He said to her seriously "You also don't have to ask just take the keys you know where they are"

"Thanks" she said looking at her phone

"Where are you going at this time anyway?" he asked her

"To check on Celeste" AJ said to him "She told me she'd call me after she spoke to Randy and I know he's out of work"

"Give her some time" Punk insisted "She's probably fighting with him"

"I just hope he doesn't turn her against me" AJ said to him

"You guys had a great talk" Punk reminded her "Trust her"

"She said she would call me so she could tell you where he was so you could kill him" She smirked

"Good" Punk smiled "Even though I'll find him on my own."

"You're not really going to seek him out are you?" AJ asked

"Are you seriously asking me if I'm going to the beat shit out of a man who took a photo of himself jerking off to my girlfriends thong?" he asked her "Yes AJ" he said to her

"I don't want you to get into trouble" AJ sighed fearfully

"I won't get in trouble" He said calmly "Don't worry about Randy"

"I'm not. I'm worried about you and Celeste" She said to him

"Celeste is a tough chick and you don't have to worry about me ever" he smirked

"Oh can you leave me a box before you throw them out?" she asked him "Elliot informed me earlier that I now strictly work with you"

"Really?" Punk asked faking surprise

"Yea so I have to pack up my desk tomorrow" AJ said to him "I don't want to work from home though."

"I'm sure Elliot could spare an office but until then you can work in my office" he said to her

"I don't want to work in your office" She said to him

"Why not?" he asked amused

"Because you'll distract me" She said to him "We need a little space"

"You do realize you're going to have to go to business meetings with me, boring dinners and listen in on important phone calls with me, right?" he chuckled

"Yes but I can do all of that in my own personal space" She said firmly and he smiled

"Ok" he said surprising her "But you should start shadowing me at the club so you can get a feel of what it is I really do"

"I always assumed Dean and Roman did all of the work while you locked yourself in your office to play video games" she said seriously

"True" Punk couldn't disagree "See? I knew you'd catch on quickly"

"What if there's something we don't agree on?" she asked him

"We're not going to agree on everything" He said to her

"I know but what if we're both super stubborn about it and can't get past it?" She asked him "Do you really think having me working with you like this was smart?"

"Yes" he said to her simply "And I'm not worried. I like to be challenged it's smart business"

"It's just working together, living together and now sharing an office?" she asked him "I really think we'd kill each other"

"I could never put a hand on you in a way that wouldn't cause you undying pleasure" Punk retorted coolly causing her to blush "You on the other hand might kill me"

"It's possible" she agreed seriously

"Come here" He laughed nodding his head to follow her out of the room. They walked back down the hall to the locked door. He reached into his pocket and unlocked the door and stepped aside so AJ could enter first.

"What is this?" she asked turning on the light, there were shelves around the entire room and most of her books were on them. "You made me a library?" she asked stunned

"Well over there is a desk, computer, phone, fax machine- everything you need. It's your own personal, private space" he said to her "An office, library whatever you want to call out"

"This is amazing" she said running her fingers over the books. "How did you get this together so fast?"

"The shelves were easy to put in" Punk shrugged "I started it a week ago"

"You put them in your self?" she asked

"Yes AJ I am handy" Punk defended "I can put shelves in" she just eyed him "Ok so Roman and Dean helped a little….and Mia" he added in almost a whisper "Do you like it?"

"Of course I do" she smiled "Thank you so much"

"I want you to feel at home here" He said to her "I thought this could help"

"I already felt at home and I've only been here for a night" she said to him "So when you were uh- putting in those shelves what were you wearing?"

"You have a thing for carpenters?" he asked narrowing his eyes at her

"Oh I don't about that but there's something to be said about a man wearing tight jeans and rocking a tool belt" she said lustfully

"I hate to ruin your dreams but I don't even own a tool belt" he said to her "But I can, I'll run out and buy ten fucking tool belts"

"And a hard hat?" she asked excitedly

"I'll dance around to the YMCA if that does it for you" Punk teased

"Seriously this is awesome" she said to him "I really appreciate it"

"I know how important it is for someone to have their own personal space. My office is my sanctuary" he told her

"This is so great" AJ said to him

"I also put these drawers in so you can have your comics too" Punk informed her "And look at the great view you've got here" he said pointing to the window

"It's perfect" she smiled

* * *

The next morning before going to the office to pack up her stuff she stopped by hers and Celeste's place to check on her. She hadn't heard from her all night and was worried more than ever now. She saw Celeste's car so she knew she was home, she knocked three times before pulling out the keys she still had to let herself in.

"Celeste?" AJ asked walking inside the apartment. She saw the garbage bags and assumed it was Randy's stuff other than that everything was perfect. It was almost eerie how quiet it was. "Celeste are you here?" she asked putting her bag and keys down and walking towards her bedroom.

As AJ wandered down the hall she smelt something else, as if someone had just cleaned the entire place. She knocked on Celeste's door and pushed the door open but she wasn't there either. She looked towards her bed to see if it had been slept in but the top bed sheet was gone which was odd. She started to feel her heart racing now and walked into her old bedroom now but it was as empty as the day she left it. She had the worst feeling in the pit of her stomach. She began to walk towards her purse and keys that's when she saw Celeste's phone turned off and her bag. She grabbed her own phone and called the fist number on her speed dial.

"Phil?" AJ choked out "I'm at Celeste's…..no he's not but something is very wrong I need you" she cried out.

Not five minutes later the door swung open.

"Celeste?" AJ asked

"No it's me" Punk said closing the door behind him "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I don't know" She said to him gesturing to the place "Celeste's car, phone and purse is here but she's not"

"Maybe she went for a run" Punk shrugged

"The door was locked and Celeste's keys are on the counter" AJ pointed out and now Punk narrowed his eyes looking around the quiet apartment

"Did you check her room? Was her bed slept in?" Punk asked

"That's the really creepy part- her top bed sheet is missing" AJ said fearfully "And I smell bleach" she said to him. Punk walked away from her and walked down the hall and smelt what AJ was talking about and pushed open Celeste's door and sure enough the bed sheet was in fact gone. "Do I call the police?" she asked him "Or am I overreacting? Can the police even do anything?" she was rambling and clearly very afraid for her friend.

"AJ take a seat" Punk said placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her onto the couch gently "I have some friends at the police station I'll give them a call"

"So you think something happened?" AJ asked horrified "You don't think-"

"I know nothing" he said to her "I'm just trying to get you some answers"

"If he did something to her because of what I did-" she started

"I'm sure everything is fine" Punk said giving her a reassuring smile "Maybe you should call her job and see if she's check in?"

"Yea good idea" AJ said grabbing her phone. "Thank you for being here" She said to him grabbing his wrist gently and giving him a weak and almost pitiful smile.

"No problem, I've got your back" he smiled kissing the top of her head before exiting outside with his phone.

Punk was worried as well but he didn't want to freak AJ out. If something terrible did happen to Celeste she would never forgive herself and Punk would also never forgive himself. He looked around outside and walked over to her and felt the hood of it before peering inside but everything seemed normal.

"Hey" Punk said to a neighbor walking out of his place and towards his own car

"Can I help you?" the man asked

"Yea, the woman who lives in there Celeste you know her?" Punk asked him

"Why?" the man asked unsurely

"I'm sorry I'm Phil Klein" Punk said hoping the man would recognize his last name and by the look in his eyes he did and quickly shook Punk's hand "My girlfriend lives with her and is a little worried because she's not home like she said she would be"

"Oh well I don't know about her but I did see a few guys leaving at around three in the morning" the man told him and Punk nodded "They didn't talk or anything I just happened to see them because I was up getting a glass of water"

"Are you sure she wasn't with them?" Punk asked him

"Pretty sure. But one of the guys looked like her boyfriend at least I think it's her boyfriend he's around from time to time" The man said

"Thank you" Punk said forcing a smile then ran his hand over his face. Punk grabbed his phone and searched for a number in his phone. "Hey Steve it's me…no I'm not in trouble" he said annoyed "but I do need a favor" he told him "I think a crime has been committed"

* * *

An hour later AJ was biting at her fingernails anxiously on the couch while Punk made some calls. He contacted to Roman and Dean to be on the look out for her and Randy for that matter. When someone knocked at the door AJ jumped out of her seat and ran towards is.

"Maybe it's her" AJ said

"AJ it's not-" Punk started knowing who was at the door

"Who are you?" AJ asked the bald man standing in front of her

"Detective Steve Austin" the man greeted "Punk here?"

"Yea Steve, thanks for coming down" Punk said gently pushing AJ aside and letting his buddy Steve in. "Steve this is my girlfriend AJ"

"Hi honey, you doing?" he asked shaking her hand. He had a bit of an accent he clearly wasn't from Chicago but he was a police officer and had the badge on his jeans to prove it. "So what am I doing here?" he asked Punk

"I think something happened to my roommate" AJ said quickly to the man "Well ex-roommate" she added quickly

"Like what?" Steve asked

"I know she was breaking up with her boyfriend" AJ said to him "See? She put his stuff in garbage bags" she said pointing to the bags, she was clearly nervous and her hand was shaking.

"I'll talk to him" Punk said running his hands soothingly up and down her arms

"Good idea" she said walking back over to the couch.

AJ listened to bits and pieces as Punk explained to his friend everything leading up to Celeste not being here today. She was in a state of shock and just feeling numb.

"…AJ" Punk called out again and she looked over "Can I see your phone? Steve wants to see the message Randy sent you"

"Of course" She said passing her phone over to Punk who gave her a sympathetic look before showing Steve.

"Have you guys touched a lot in the place since getting here this morning?" Steve asked them

"I had a glass of water" AJ said "Is that bad?"

"No" Steve smiled "Anything else?"

"I don't think so" She said "I went into her room but I didn't touch anything"

"Ok" Steve said

"Why?" AJ asked

"It could be a possible crime scene" Steve said and Punk sucked in a breath as AJ just slowly nodded "But she hasn't been missing that long aren't there like rules?"

"Not if the police have reason to believe a crime has been committed" Steve said to her

"You think a crime was committed?" AJ asked as Punk walked over to her and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head

"I don't know but it's possible that's why I'm going to call some people and have them check out the place" Steve said to her "Don't worry honey we'll find her. Do you know anything else about this Randy Orton?" he asked her

"Not much" AJ admitted "He goes to the gym a lot"

"He's not there today though" Punk said to Steve

"How do you know that?" Steve asked

"Roman checked it out" Punk told him

"Let the police handle this" Steve warned him "I can't be cleaning up after you and your goons while trying to help your friend"

"Just trying to be helpful" Punk defended

"Be helpful by telling me if you see Mr. Orton not having him beaten into a bloody pulp" Steve said to him

* * *

AJ was sitting on the one stoop outside as the stars shinned. It was already almost ten and there was a crime scene team inside the home for hours now looking for something, anything. And there was still no word from Celeste.

"You ok?" Punk asked taking a seat next to her

"I'm so scared" She said to him but didn't look directly at home

"The police are looking for her" Punk reminded her

"It's too late" AJ said to him "I felt it when I walked in there something bad happened and it's all my fault"

"Of course it's not" Punk argued

"If I never would have tried to set Randy up, she never would have broken up with him" AJ cried "I thought I was helping her and protecting her from him but I did the opposite"

"We don't know what happened yet" Punk reminded her

"Come on Phil" she sighed "The place has been cleaned, her sheets are missing, her stuff is all still there. And I heard the police talking to the neighbor saying Randy a few others left here late last night. I should have come back here last night when I wanted to" Punk did feel slightly guilty convincing AJ not to worry about not hearing from Celeste himself.

"And what if you did come here?" Punk asked here "And let's say god forbid something bad did happen do you really think you wouldn't missing right along with Celeste?"

"I could have helped" AJ cried "I shouldn't have moved out! I shouldn't have done so many things" Punk pulled AJ into his arms as she sobbed against his chest "My best friend is missing and it's all my fault"

"We're going to find her" Punk promised running one hand through her long hair

"No we're not" She said burying her face into his chest and shaking her head "She's gone. The only friend I had in the system, we only had each other and I got her killed"

"Stop" he said whispered

"I let her down" she cried.

"AJ" the voice of Mia caused AJ to look up. There was Mia and Dean standing over her. "We just came by to see if you need anything" she said sympathetically

"Yea I mean anything at all" Dean said to her

"Thanks" AJ said not moving from Punk

"Police still in there?" Dean asked and Punk nodded

"Have you guys seen Randy by any chance?" AJ asked them "Maybe he's at Seth's club?"

"Roman is sitting on the club" Punk told her "if he sees him he'll call me and the police"

"AJ want to take a walk?" Mia asked and AJ nodded slowly and came to her feet

"I'll be right back" AJ said to him who just forced a smile and watched as Mia wrapped her arm around hers and walked away

"She doing ok?" Dean asked taking the seat AJ was in

"No" Punk said to him "She's convinced she's dead"

"What do you think?" Dean asked

"It's fucking hard to say she's not" Punk admitted "The crime scene people found blood"

"Shit" Dean muttered

"And we both know Seth is capable of shit like this" he reminded Dean

"It wasn't Seth though" Dean reminded him

"No it was Randy but he wasn't alone" Punk said to him "How much you want to bet he called Seth's people for the clean up job?"

"You've got to stay out of this" Dean warned him "Let Austin do his thing. You get too close to Seth you really will go to jail this time"

"If I find out Seth had anything to do with this I will kill him" Punk said to him

"I didn't realize you and the roommate were so close" Dean noted "Sorry man" he said placing a hand on his shoulder

"We weren't. I mean she was nice and all but she meant the world to AJ" Punk told him "And if something did happen with Celeste I was the last person to see her" he told him "I came by here last night because her stupid fucking boyfriend sent AJ a dick picture"

"What?" Dean asked disgusted

"It's a long story" Punk mumbled "She was devastated when I showed her the message. I should have waited for Randy to get home like I had wanted to but I thought Celeste dumping him would make me happy enough"

"You couldn't have known" Dean said to him

"Keep an eye on Mia" Punk said to him "If Randy or Seth or anyone connected were involved-"

"I know" Dean said cutting him off "Don't worry I'm not leaving her side. And honestly after you called her and told her what happened she was freaked out herself."

"AJ wanted to stop by here last night" Punk admitted

"Why didn't she?" Dean asked

"Because I told her not" Punk said annoyed himself

"She came here last night her bed sheets would be missing too" Dean said seriously "Good thing she didn't come here because who knows what she would have walked in on"

"I would have come with her" Punk said to him

"You're not superman" Dean snorted "If there were a couple of guys here you never wouldn't have stood a chance"

"Or I could have scared them off" Punk said to him "But I don't think those guys got here to later"

"What do you think happened? Honestly?" Dean asked as Punk kept his eyes on AJ and his sister who were hugging a few away

"I think she packed up his shit and told him to get out and he snapped and killed her" Punk said to him "Probably freaked out didn't know what to do and called Seth and asked for help. His crew came in wrapped her up took her out the back way while Randy bleached the entire apartment"

"Fucking scary man" Dean muttered "It's so surreal"

"It's more common than you think" Punk reminded him "How many times do you turn on the news and see some poor girls face on the TV and not give it a second thought?"

"True" Dean nodded "Well I hope you're wrong about all of this"

"Me too" Punk said looking at AJ who caught his eye. "I have to get her out of here" he said standing up

"Good idea" Dean said to him "And Devon said don't worry about the club"

"Devon is running my club?" Punk asked stunned

"He thinks it's his way of helping" Dean smirked

"I'll call him later" Punk said to him "You just take care of my baby sister"

"Absolutely" Dean said as they walked towards the girls.

"Ready to go?" Punk asked her

"So soon?" AJ asked "What if Celeste comes back? Or they find something?"

"The police are here" Punk reminded her "You can't do anything else here we'll just be getting in the way"

"Take care kid" Dean said giving AJ a tight hug

"Thanks" AJ said to him

"I'll be by first thing in the morning" Mia said giving her a quick hug before walking away with Dean

"Are you sure we should go?" AJ asked Punk and he nodded

"Yea" he said tucking a strand of her hair behind ear "Steve will call with any news" she just nodded and looked back at the place she once was so happy in. It was now considered a crime scene and looking at it now made her sick to her stomach.

"Is it ok if I go home with you?" she asked

"Where else would you go?" he asked with half a smile

"I drove your other car here" She said nodding towards it "I don't want-" she stopped herself but Punk knew what she was going to say

"I'll have Roman pick up the car later" Punk said opening the passenger side door of the car he drove over for her.

"I love you" she said before getting in the car

"I love you too" he said giving her a brief but still sweet kiss. He waited for her to put her seatbelt on before closing the car door and walking over to the driver's side. He glanced over towards AJ who was looking out the window at her old apartment.

Punk wasn't sure what to say, this was something he had never dealt with in his life before. He was so used to be the one losing people such as his mother and father. When he moved in with the Klein's it was like he was shielded from the worlds problems. Sure there were funerals and sad stories but nothing like this. And for some reason he felt worse than he had ever felt in his life. He wished this was happening to him to spare AJ the pain of this. Her silence and frequent tears pained him to no end and he didn't know how to fix this. He couldn't pay or bully his way into fixing this- it was completely out of his control.

Punk reached his arm across the car and grabbed AJ's hand and held it as he drove. As he drove away from the apartment he could hear her sniffling and raised her hand to his lips and kissed it for comfort. She didn't say a word or look at him but she did squeeze it back to let him know she appreciated him trying.


	20. Moving On

**Moving On**

* * *

Three days later and there was still now word from Celeste and the police still couldn't find Randy to question him. AJ stayed in the house refusing to leave or even get up and leave the bed. Punk wasn't sure how to help her but him just being there seemed to comfort her, at least that's what she told him.

"Hey son" Elliot said sadly walking into Punk's house. "You changed the place around" Elliot noted looking around Punk's million-dollar home.

"You've only been here once" Punk reminded him

"That's right" Elliot smirked "You're not big on visitors"

"Well AJ wanted to have a dinner here with everyone" Punk said to him

"That's why I'm here" Elliot said to him

"AJ isn't up for dinner right now-" Punk started

"No of course not" Elliot said to him "I came to see how she's doing"

"She's devastated" Punk admitted "Blames herself"

"It's a tough situation" Elliot said taking a seat on the couch "How long has she been in her room?"

"Since she found out Celeste is missing and probably dead" Punk said to him

"Can I do anything?" Elliot asked

"No" Punk said shaking his head "You're doing enough, I know you've been working on the new club and I appreciate it"

"We're family" Elliot reminded him "It's what we do. Speaking of your mom is stopping by later with enough food to keep you fed for another three months" he warned

"AJ isn't really eating" Punk admitted "What do I do?" he asked sitting next to Elliot "I've never done this before. I've always been on the receiving end of this, you and Jennifer saved me and pulled me out of my depression. How do I make her better?"

"You can't" Elliot admitted

"Well maybe you can talk to her" Punk suggested "You were great with me"

"She doesn't love me" Elliot smirked "She needs you"

"To do what?" Punk asked

"Just being here with her" Elliot said to him "But you've got to get her out of bed"

"I don't want to push her" Punk admitted "Maybe laying in bed will cheer her up?"

"No" Elliot chuckled "She's just laying there replaying everything in her head probably driving herself crazy which in turn is probably making you crazy"

"I wish I had answers for her at least" Punk said to him

"No word on the suspect yet" Elliot said to him "Steve has been touch with me on the case. I'm cashing on as many favors as possible to help"

"Thank you" Punk said to him "I really do appreciate it"

"I wish I could do more" Elliot sighed "I also heard Steve was down at Tonic last night and spoke to Seth and a few of Randy's buddies"

"I'm sure they came off as charming and concerned" Punk mocked

"You know it" Elliot said to him "And according to Austin, he thinks Orton skipped town. His car has been at his place untouched for days"

"Yea I heard that" Punk said to him "As much as I want this resolved for AJ's benefit I'm a little relieved Orton is out of town"

"You worried about AJ?" Elliot asked and Punk nodded

"It's not her fault" Punk said firmly "But she did expose Orton, well me and AJ both but he's always a had a thing for AJ"

"She's in good hands" Elliot said to him. The doorbell rang and Punk seemed confused as he walked over to the door. He recognized the man but wasn't expecting him.

"Shawn right?" Punk asked stepping aside to let AJ's PI inside

"Yea how you doing kid?" Shawn smiled shaking his hand

"I'm ok" Punk said unsurely "If you're here to see AJ she's really not up for visitors-"

"She called me and asked me to fly down" Shawn told him "Told me about Celeste"

"Oh" Punk said surprised AJ didn't mention this to him "Shawn this is my father-"

"Mr. Klein" Shawn smiled walking over and shaking his hand "Nice to meet you"

"You as well" Elliot said standing up

"Shawn here is AJ's PI" Punk told him

"AJ has told me a lot about you" Elliot said to him

"Same here" Shawn said to him

"She's upstairs in the room with double doors" Punk said to him "She should be awake"

"Thanks, nice meeting you Mr. Klein" Shawn said then walked up the staris.

* * *

Shawn knocked on AJ's door until he heard her to tell him to come him.

"Hey kid" Shawn said forcing a smile. AJ looked up and got out of the bed and threw her arms around the man she had known since she was 18.

"Did you find anything?" she asked pulling away

"No" He said as they both took a seat on the bed "But I can tell you the police are doing everything they can to find her"

"If we find Randy we'll find her" AJ told him "The police just want to talk to him but he's the number one suspect"

"They don't see it that way" Shawn said to her

"I know" AJ said to him "That's why they're not trying hard enough to find him but I know he has the answers"

"I'm waiting on some calls" Shawn said to her "From what I dug up about this guy he isn't that smart, he'll slip up eventually"

"Celeste doesn't have that kind of time" AJ argued

"You know I adore Celeste" Shawn said to her "I've been making calls and talking to people since you called me, but this is more of a police matter"

"The police aren't moving fast enough" AJ said to him "What about the club I told you about? The one I said that Randy hangs around?"

"I plan on going there tonight" Shawn said to her "I'll do everything I can to help find her"

"That's all I ask" AJ said to him

"I know this isn't easy for you" Shawn frowned "How are you holding up?"

"I feel numb" AJ admitted "I don't even know what day it is"

"Don't let this consume your life" Shawn said to her "You have a very nice gentleman downstairs who looks like he hasn't slept in days or changed his clothes"

"He's been amazing" AJ said to him quietly

"So for him do you think you can pull yourself together a bit?" Shawn asked "Maybe wash your hair or go downstairs for dinner? Laying in bed isn't going to bring you answers"

"I know" AJ said to him "It's just anytime I try to do something I think of Celeste"

"Things like this can take a long time" Shawn told her "You can't stay locked away forever"

"I'm going to try" AJ whispered

"Good" Shawn said giving her a warm smile then pulled her into a hug.

* * *

Later that night Punk walked into the bedroom and felt his heart drop when he didn't see AJ in bed. The bed was made for the first time in times and AJ's pajamas were folded at the edge of the bed. He jetted out of the bedroom and looked down the hall and saw a light coming from her office.

"Hey" Punk said walking in and finding AJ at her desk

"Hi" she said with half a smile

"Are you ok?" Punk asked

"Yea I just thought I'd come in here and look over some things" AJ said to him

"For Celeste?" Punk questioned

"No for the club" AJ said to him "I had all of these color patterns sent here and I wanted to look over them"

"You don't have to" Punk said to her as he stepped further into the room

"No it's ok" AJ said to him "I've been kind of a zombie I have to pull myself back together a bit. I made promises and have a job"

"I'm your boss" Punk reminded her "You can take as much time"

"I need to keep my mind occupied or I'll go crazy" AJ admitted "I keep wondering if she's hurt somewhere, is she scared- I keep wondering what she's thinking, is that weird?"

"Not at all" Punk said to her

"I know hoping for her to be safe and ok is probably asking for a lot" AJ said looking up at him "But I keep thinking about all these things she wanted to do before she turned 50" she told him "And now she might not even be alive…"

"What did she want to do?" Punk asked her

"Skydiving" AJ said to him and he nodded "Run a marathon which she was training for. She also wanted to meet a guy who loved the gym as much as she did and marry him and open up a gym together. I feel like I kind of stole her bucket list from her"

"How so?" he asked

"I met a guy and we're opening up a club together, not a gym but close enough" she said to him "And I feel guilty because I'm happy and even though I'm worried about her I look over to you at night and I feel better. I feel lucky."

"You shouldn't feel guilty about that and I'm sure Celeste wouldn't want you to" Punk said to her

"Can someone who I used to share my coffee with in the morning really be capable of killing my friend?" she asked him "I mean Randy never even raised his voice at Celeste"

"Passion pushes people to do scary, scary things" Punk told her

"You have passion for me" AJ pointed out "But I don't think you'd ever hurt me"

"I wouldn't" Punk assured her "I may not have the best past but no matter how mad I could ever be at you I know I could never hurt you. Not physically, not emotionally"

"Are you afraid I would hurt you?" AJ asked him he lifted her arm and smirked at the lack of muscle in it and dropped it to the table

"Nope" He teased

"Not like that" she said with a small laugh "I mean you've already had to face my father who could have killed you and then almost got mixed up with Randy. What if I make the same mistake with you that I did with Celeste?"

"You didn't make any mistakes" Punk said seriously "You were looking out for your best friend and that was very noble. Whatever happened after you spoke to Celeste isn't you fault"

"It's the not knowing what happened that's driving me crazy" AJ said to him

"Me too" Punk admitted "And you'll get the answers in time"

"It's so cold out though" AJ said to him "What if she's really hurt in the woods somewhere?" she asked him

"The police are being very thorough" Punk promised her "I know you want to jump in and help but you'll only get in the way. The best thing you could do for Celeste is to make sure people don't forget to keep looking" he did have a good point. "Speaking of that I know they just announced an award for any information on her whereabouts"

"That's great" AJ said to him "How much?"

"Two million" Punk told her

"Holy cow that's a lot of money" AJ said to him "The police got that many donations?"

"Yea" Punk said to her and AJ narrowed her eyes at him

"Did you put all that money up?" AJ asked knowing it was him.

"I put up one mill, Elliot matched it" Punk said to her

"I should call your parents and thank them" AJ said to him

"They know you're busy and upset don't worry about that" Punk said to her "But if you really wanted to thank them you can go downstairs and eat some of the food they dropped off of you"

"They brought me food?" She asked with a smile

"Yes everyday" Punk said to her "There is a lasagna, stuffed shells, salad, cake and a bunch of other crap"

"I am a little hungry" AJ admitted "I suppose the paint in the ladies bathroom could wait"

"Yes it can" Punk said grabbing her hands and pulling her to her feet. AJ reached up and gave him a slow kiss, the first physical contact they had in days.

"I'm sorry I feel like I've been neglecting you" AJ admitted

"Hey don't even say that" Punk said to her "I'm really not a sex maniac" he said and she just gave him an 'are you kidding me?' look "You really think I am don't you?" he asked with a laugh

"It's just the second time we hung out you took me back here and told me you wanted to have sex" AJ pointed out

"I did" Punk shrugged "I'm just honest. And at that point all I did want was sex. We've evolved a bit, don't you think?" he teased

"We really have and I know I said it a lot it but I would be a complete and total mess without you" AJ said to him

"It's fine" Punk said to her "You'd so the same for me"

"Bet your ass I would" she said seriously

* * *

After dinner AJ was in the bath that Punk had set up for her. A nice hot bath, candles were the only light and there were tons of bubbles in it.

"This is so relaxing" AJ sighed leaning against the tub then turned her head to look at Punk who was picking up her clothes, he really was taking such good care of her.

"Come in with me" she requested

"Oh I don't do baths" he laughed

"For someone who doesn't take bath's you sure know how to set one up" she said to him

"Water, bubbles and candles- not too confusing" he smirked

"Come in" she said again

"I have this weird thing about bathing in my own filth" Punk shrugged "Sorry honey"

"Are you grossed out by me?" she asked

"You're not going to trick me into taking a bath" Punk said to her

"Fine" she said "I'll just lay here" she shrugged "By myself, naked" she said "Maybe stretch out a little" she said lifting her leg slightly out of the tub and running her hands over it

"You really do play dirty" Punk said annoyed looking at her as she grabbed a loofa and began to run it over her breasts

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently. He pulled off his shirt and kicked off his shorts and boxers.

"This is so gross" he said as AJ moved forward so he could climb in behind her

"Stop saying that" she giggled. She rested her back against his chest and could feel he was still tense. "Just think about being in here with me, nothing else"

"Already am" he said grabbing the loofa from her and running it over her chest. "It's not terrible"

"No it's nice" She smiled "I've been thinking about something else"

"What's that?" he asked

"I give you a lot of flack over being controlling" AJ said to him

"Most people do" he smirked

"You're always right" she said out loud for the first time "You were right about meeting my dad, you were right about Randy and when I think about how I wanted to get a hotel room and have Celeste find us there-"

"Don't talk about that" Punk said to her

"Why?" she asked

"Because I'm trying to forget that you almost put yourself in a position to be alone with that man" Punk said to her "If it had been you-"

"It should have been" She said to him

"Don't" he said seriously "Don't ever say that. All I can think is what if it was me going to your place that morning looking for you and you were gone. It's fucking selfish but I'm relieved it wasn't you" he said softly "I feel like such a shitty person for even thinking it and as upset as I am about Celeste all I can think is 'at least it wasn't AJ'"

"And all I can think is about how should be me" AJ said sadly

"No" he said kissing the top of her head "I don't know how you're staying strong because if I were you I don't think I'd be able to ever function again. You've only been in my life for a few months and I can't imagine you ever being gone from it."

"No one has ever loved me unconditionally like you" AJ whispered "You don't know how much it means to me. I don't care if people think we're moving to fast, being with you has saved me"

"I'm going to marry you" Punk told her and she froze "We're going to have children together and grow old together"

"Two old farts running a night club" AJ scoffed lightly and smiled "I can see it now"

"We'll always be cool" Punk smirked "We'll be the coolest grandparents in the old age home"

They were in the bath for ten minutes rambling on about nothing and everything when Punk's phone began to go off.

"You should get that" AJ said to him "What if it's about Celeste?"

"Ok" he reached his long arms over to his shorts not leaving his position in the tub to grab his phone out of the pocket. "Voicemail" he said then called it.

"Everything ok?" she asked after a few minutes

"That was Steve" Punk told her "They need you"

"For what?" AJ asked sitting up and looking back at him

"They think they may have found her-" Punk started

"Oh my god! Is she ok?" she asked jumping out of the bath and grabbing a towel "Where is she? The hospital?"

"No AJ" Punk said to her as he stepped out of the tub and grabbed a towel himself "They think they may have found her body" he told her slowly and watched all of her hope disappear "He wants you to meet him at the morgue"

"Oh" She said as her face went pale. "Could you-" she started

"Of course I'll come with you" He said to her


	21. Life Is Short

**Life Is Short**

* * *

Punk watched from the corner of the funeral home as AJ greeted every single person to walk in. She was holding up so much better than he even imagined. When they went to the morgue part of AJ was expecting to see Celeste so when it was revealed to be her she broke down in his arms but she got right back and started to plan Celeste's funeral. He was actually more concerned by how calm she seemed.

"She seems ok" Devon noted walking over to Punk

"She's not" Punk said keeping his eyes on her as she shook hands with some of Celeste's co-workers "It's just a front"

"It's such a sad story" Devon frowned "Beaten to death? That's just sick and twisted"

"Its horrible" Punk agreed

"Don't take on all of the guilt and sulk like you usually do" Devon warned

"What do you mean?" Punk asked

"Dad told me that you were the last to see her alive" Devon said to him "It's not anymore your fault than it is AJ's"

"Yea" Punk muttered as he watched a few people come in and AJ hugged, probably people from New Jersey. "Thanks by the way for helping with the club"

"Don't mention it" Devon said to him. Punk &amp; Devon didn't see eye to eye often but they did consider each other to be brothers and would always support the other "Whenever you're ready. So any word on the boyfriend?"

"Skipped town" Punk said to him "They don't even have enough to issue a warrant for his arrest he's just wanted for questioning"

"No DNA on her?" Devon asked

"That takes times" Punk said to him "But like I told Dean and Roman I'm not sure if Seth played a role-"

"If he comes near Mia I'll kill him" Devon said seriously and Punk nodded "And don't worry I'll keep an eye on AJ too"

"Appreciate it" Punk said to him. Punk narrowed his eyes when a man in a t-shirt walked in to the room. His long hair was pulled back and a few different colors and he pulled AJ right into a hug. Punk kept an eye on him thinking the hug was already going on far too long. When AJ finally pulled away he saw the strange man's hand still linger on the lower back of his girlfriend as he leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"Relax" Devon warned "Don't cause a scene and upset her" he knew Punk better than he thought.

"I'm just going to go introduce myself" Punk said to him and walked right over to the two.

"Phil" AJ smiled as Punk pulled AJ from the man casually and wrapped his arm around her "This is a friend of mine and Celeste's from Jersey- Jeff"

"Nice to meet you" Jeff said extending his hand to him and while Punk smiled politely at the man and shook his hand something struck him on his arm that was covered in tattoos. "I'm going to go up and pay my respects, I'll find you in a little" he said leaning down and kissing her cheek "Nice meeting you Phil" he said to him

"That was nice of him to come all of the way from Jersey" Punk noted

"He was Celeste's foster brother" AJ told him "She kept in touch with him"

"Did you?" Punk asked

"No" she said to him "I think I need to take a break from greeting and smiling" she admitted to Punk

"Go sit down for a little I'll take over" Punk offered

"Are you sure?" she asked

"Yea" he said and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll be with your mom" She said to him and he just nodded and watched her take a seat next to Jennifer who had been beyond supportive during this time- including helping AJ make all the arrangements.

* * *

After a long day at the wake Punk took AJ home so she could sleep before the burial the next day. He wanted to continue to be supportive and reassuring but there was something nagging at him and he wasn't sure when or how to bring it up to her. He walked into the bathroom as she was brushing her hair and looked at him through the mirror.

"Tired?" she asked him

"I am actually" Punk admitted "How are you doing? You've been running around like crazy"

"I'm still in shock" she said to him "Just be prepared for me to completely break at some point"

"I'll be here" he assured her and she gave him a weak smile. He moved her hair to the side and looked at the tattoo he had discovered weeks ago that she refused to talk about.

"I knew you saw it" AJ said

"Saw what?" He asked innocently

"That Jeff has the same tattoo as me" AJ said to him "I'm surprised you didn't ask me right away"

"It's not important right now" Punk said pulling her back to cover the tattoo

"I'll tell you about it" AJ said turning around "You've been amazing these last two weeks and if you're uncomfortable or have a questions-"

"Like I said it's not important" Punk said to her "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"You mean besides do all of the cooking, cleaning, dressing me and bathing me practically?" she asked him

"Yea" he said seriously

"There is something you can do" AJ said to him as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I want you"

"AJ you're upset-" Punk started

"I am upset and what I need to keep myself from completely falling apart is to be with you" She said to him "I want to feel you, I need to" he completely understood and took her by the hand and led her into the bedroom.

Punk sat AJ on the edge of her bed and gently tugged her t-shirt over her head and tossed it behind him then slipped off her small pajama shorts before removing his own clothes. He tugged the comforter down and she crawled underneath with him crawling in behind her. He grabbed her face and kissed her as hard as possible, he hadn't had her like this in weeks and he did miss being intimate with her, actually it was the longest he had gone since he could remember. She freely let him roll on top of her as he continued to attack her lips and caress her tongue with his own.

Punk was careful not to be rough with her, he knew how fragile she was and didn't want to push her too hard. His hands ran lovingly up and down her arms and over her perky breasts. AJ's fingers ran through his short hair to urge him more into the kiss and she began to arch slightly to just feel him against her skin again, she could feel he was hard already as he poked her in her stomach with his shaft.

"I love you" AJ whispered pulling away from the kiss only for a few seconds to get the words out, she didn't let him respond before she began to kiss him again. Punk ran his hand down her body until he hit the apex of her thighs and palmed her slowly and sensually. "Please" she whispered against his lips before sucking on his bottom lip.

Punk gently entered her and it was like this weight was lifted off of his shoulders. Being one with her was the calming and fulfilling thing for him. And it wasn't just about sex he had come to realize it was being as close as possible to this woman. He rested his forehead against hers as he ever so slowly moved in and out of her small body.

"Harder" she sighed loving this feeling

"No" he said to her "This will be good I promise" he said kissing the tip of her nose "Trust me?" he asked and instead of responding she answered him with a kiss, a kiss that was so intense he almost completely forgot what he was doing and where he was. With one of his hands supporting her neck so he could kiss her and the other at her hip he thrust into her as deeply and slowly as possible.

When Punk abruptly pulled away from the kiss because of his impending orgasm AJ looked over and saw the time and couldn't believe how long they were both lasting. She hadn't realized it had been almost half an hour and she was sure she never wanted this to end.

"Don't stop" she pleaded "This is the best I've felt in weeks"

"I know baby but we have all the time in the world" he said to her

"No" she said shaking her head. As much as Punk wanted to continue this conversation the need to finish her off was stronger. He moved his hand over her clit and played with it until she tightened around him and as always that set him off. After a minute he pulled out of her but stayed over her body

"What did you mean?" Punk asked her

"Nothing" she said to him

"I said we have all of the time in world and you told me no" he reminded her "What did you mean by that?"

"How do we know?" AJ asked him "Celeste thought she had all of the time in the world too and now I'm burying her two days before her 25th birthday"

"AJ-" Punk started

"Let's be real" she said sitting up causing him to straddle her legs "I can be dead tomorrow-"

"Don't say shit like that" Punk said to her

"Did you mean what you said to me before we got the call about Celeste?" AJ asked him

"If I said I meant it" Punk said not really remembering what he said to her

"You said you wanted to marry me, have children with me" she reminded him

"Yea I meant all of that" Punk said to her

"We're not guaranteed that time" AJ reminded him

"What are you trying to say?" Punk asked her

"I want to get married" She said to him and he was stunned

"What?" he asked stunned

"Marry me" she requested

"You're asking me to marry you?" Punk asked slowly

"Look I know it's not traditional and it's very fast but I love you and you love me" AJ said to him "We both want this and I'm afraid if I wait long enough it might never happen"

"I think it's very sweet you asked" He smirked "But I don't want you to marry me out of fear, I want you to marry me because you want to"

"I do want to" she said to him "I haven't been able to stop thinking about what you said to me it's what's kept me together. Hope." She said to him "That's what you gave me and I don't want to wait I want to marry you"

"I'm supposed to do the asking" Punk reminded her

"I'm not very traditional" she shrugged "And believe me it's not about money I'll sign anything-"

"AJ I have never thought or accused of being with me for my money" Punk said to her "I just know you're grieving right now. Next week you might not feel the same way"

"I love you more and more each day" she told him "There were two people in my life that I had trusted and loved and one of them is dead now. I wish I could go back in time and just give her one last hug or tell her how much I appreciated her or how she was better than any blood family I may or may not have. I don't want to have any regrets with you" she said to him

"Ok" Punk said to her

"Ok?" she asked

"Let's do it" he said to her and she smiled as she wiped away the few tears that had escaped her eyes earlier.

"You really want to?" AJ asked him

"I've wanted to marry you since that first kiss we had" Punk told her honestly "And I don't want any regrets with you either but I know we won't have any. I'm going to take care of you" He promised grabbing her left hand and kissing over her empty ring finger.

"People are going to try to talk us out of it" AJ said to him "They're going to think I'm grieving and you're crazy"

"They already think I'm crazy" Punk smiled "And it's fine we won't tell them"

"Really? Elope?" she asked

"Yea" Punk said to her "We'll go whenever you want, I'll get us tickets to Vegas- unless you want a big wedding in that case-"

"No let's do it" AJ said to him "Tomorrow"

"Tomorrow is Celeste's funeral" Punk pointed out

"I think she out of everyone would appreciate it" she smiled lightly "We'll leave tomorrow night"

"Ok" he smiled "But you can take some time to think about it"

"You're the one who should think about it" AJ teased "I'm the one who asked you"

"Can we not spread that around?" Punk asked her "Hurts my ego"

"I doubt that you're ego is pretty big" she teased "Don't you love that you have a kick ass girlfriend?"

"Actually I guess its fiancée now" Punk smiled "Are you going to get me an engagement ring?"

"Yes a big flashy diamond" AJ smiled

"I'm a lucky guy" Punk teased he tucked her hair behind her ear and looked her in the eyes "Are you really sure about this? Because right now I'm pretty excited and if you change your mind I'll understand but the longer you wait the worse I'll feel"

"When I was little girl all I dreamt about was a family taking me in and loving me and I knew it would make me happy, I never once considered that making my own family would make even happier" she told him honestly as a tear fell from her eye "I want to be your family."

"You are" he said kissing the corner of her eye where her tears were "I love you and I'm going to marry you"

* * *

Punk kept his arm wrapped firmly around AJ as she sobbed into his chest, unable to look at the casket being lowered into the ground. Celeste didn't have many connections but there were a few people surrounding the burial such as all the Klein's, a few co-workers, Shawn, Dean, Roman and the mystery man with the matching tattoo. Punk couldn't help but glare towards the man who had his eyes locked on AJ's body the entire time. He didn't seem like a man grieving and if he was he clearly wanted to be grieving with AJ. But Punk pushed it all aside because today was about Celeste and later night AJ was going to be his wife.

AJ &amp; Punk said goodbye to the Klein's and Punk began to walk AJ to his car.

"AJ" Jeff said walking over to her "I was just wondering when you're going to be going through Celeste's stuff…you know cleaning out the apartment?"

"Oh" AJ said slowly "I hadn't even thought about that" but of course she was going to be the one to do it.

"She's been a little preoccupied" Punk said rather coldly "She's not worried about her stuff"

"I didn't mean to be insensitive" Jeff said quickly

"No it's alright" AJ said to him

"I just wanted to be around for it, you know?" he said with a hopeful smile "I'm leaving tomorrow-"

"AJ isn't going to be around tomorrow" Punk informed him and she wouldn't- they'd be in Vegas and this would be a true test to see if AJ still wanted to go through with the marriage.

"I won't be back until Wednesday" she told him "If you can wait until then that would be great but if not I'll just get in touch with you to see if there's anything you want" Punk was very satisfied with her response.

"No I'll hang around a few days" Jeff said to her "I have some friends out here I'd like to see"

"Alright" AJ said to him

"Where are you going if you don't mind me asking?" Jeff asked

"I mind" Punk said with a bitter smile "Bye" he then pulled AJ away from the man and helped her into the car. "Sorry if I was rude but you literally just buried your best friend and he's worried about her stuff"

"It's fine" AJ said to him

"So our bags are in the trunk" Punk said to her "Am I going straight to the airport or back home?"

"The airport" AJ said to him "Are you sure you don't mind your family not being there, or knowing for that matter?"

"I love them and they are my family" Punk said to her "But I can't help but feel our childhoods were similar, alone and looking for someone, anyone to save us. We'll save each other" he said to her and she smiled

"I like that, just the two of us" AJ said to him "Is your family going to hate me?"

"No" Punk said "But this isn't about my family this is about us."

"You're right" AJ agreed and reached over to kiss him before he began to drive off.

"So that Jeff guy-" Punk started

"We never dated" AJ said to him

"Were you close?" Punk asked

"Me, Jeff and Celeste were very close" AJ admitted "I had a huge crush on Jeff but he was older and had a girlfriend but we shared a bond. He lost his father to suicide and we just kind of clicked"

"And you never slept with him?" Punk asked bluntly

"I didn't say that" she said quietly and he looked over to her as he stopped at a light "The night before Celeste and I moved to Chicago to start school Jeff and I got tattoo's of the date so we'd remember each other" she said to him

"Getting a tattoo with someone is pretty intimate" Punk noted

"He has hundreds of tattoo's" AJ pointed out

"You don't" Punk said to her "It's like having his name on your neck"

"You want me to have it removed it?" AJ asked but he didn't respond

"So when did you sleep with him?" Punk asked dying to know

"We went back to his apartment after the tattoo's to meet with Celeste and she flaked on us" AJ smirked remembering it "she always did that" Punk placed his hand over her knee and squeezed it gently to comfort her "Anyway I was alone with Jeff and his girlfriend wasn't around and it just happened" she shrugged

"It doesn't just happen" Punk said to her

"I wanted it to happen" AJ said to him "He was Celeste's foster brother for years but when he turned 18 he was on his own but always looked out for us and took care of us. He always looked at me as the same little girl he had first met but that night he said he saw me in a different light and as a goodbye we slept together" she shrugged "That's the first time I have seen or spoken to him since that night"

"What a guy" Punk snorted

"Are you going to honestly say you've spoken to every single woman you have slept with after the fact?" AJ asked him

"No but I have a had a tattoo with her I would" Punk said to her "Also if I had a long history with her I would as well" Punk looked over to her briefly then back at the road "You have the anniversary of the date you had sex with another man on your neck"

"I know" She said to him

"I can see why you never wanted to tell me" Punk said to her

"No one ever sees it" AJ told him "I don't even remember it's there"

"I see it" He pointed out

"I'll have it removed" She said simply "It means nothing to me" she said honestly

"Really?" he asked her and she nodded

"Absolutely" she said without hesitation

"Having tattoo's removed is painful maybe we can just change it" Punk suggested

"I don't care about the tattoo all I care about it is that we're going to be married in a few hours" she said to him.

"Mrs. Brooks" Punk smiled "Never thought I'd get married"

"Me either" she said to him "I can't wait to be officially yours"

"I can't wait until I can say you're officially mine" Punk admitted

"I'm not even scared" she said to him "Is that weird? Don't most people have cold feet?"

"Yea I think that's common" Punk said glancing over to her

"I feel nothing but excitement" AJ said to him "No regrets, no hesitations"

"Me either" Punk said to her "That's how I know this is the right thing to do."

"When we get back and I have to go through Celeste's things would you mind doing it with me?" AJ asked him

"Of course not" Punk said to her "You didn't even have to ask"

"I know" she said to him "I think Celeste is smiling wherever she is." She said to Punk "She'd want me to be happy"

"I agree" Punk said to her "It's actually a nice way in honoring her"

"One life ends and another goes on" AJ said almost too quietly "I just always imagined Celeste would be at my side whenever I got married"

"She'll be there" Punk said to her

"I thought you didn't believe in god?" AJ asked

"I don't but I believe in the afterlife. I think there's something out there" Punk said to her

After a half hour drive Punk pulled up in the airport. As he turned off the car he looked over to AJ one last time.

"Don't you dare ask me if I want this" AJ warned and grabbed his face and kissed him. "Let's stop talking about it and just do it"

"My girl" Punk grinned "I love you" he said to her "And the fact that you you're about to fly off to Vegas with me for a few hours to marry me is making me the happiest I have ever been in my entire life"

"I love you too" she said to him sweetly "Let's stop wasting time and get on that plan"

* * *

**A/N: Do they go through with the wedding? Do they even want to? Is AJ just in shock? Will they regret this later? Also thanks for the reviews :)**


	22. Warm Welcome

**Warm Welcome**

* * *

Arriving back in Chicago AJ was a ball of nerves but Punk was as cool a cucumber. She knew they we're heading over to his parents house where his brother and sister were and they were going to break the news to them before it leaked to the press.

"If you look this nervous when we go in they're going to think I kidnapped you and forced you into this" Punk warned as he pulled up to his parents home

"I just really like your family" AJ admitted as Punk stopped the car.

"You're part of the family now" Punk told her

"What if they don't accept me?" she asked "Oh my god what if they ask you to choose?"

"AJ" Punk laughed "First of all they love you second of all if they asked me to choose which they never would, it would be you"

"How about you go in and tell them and I'll wait here?" she suggested

"If that's what you want" Punk smiled at her.

"No we're married we do things together, right?" she asked and he nodded "You're getting off so easy" she mumbled climbing out of the car.

"How so?" he asked amused locking his car doors

"I don't have a family- you don't have to worry about pissing anyone off or not accepting you" She said "It's so not fair"

"Come on" he laughed holding his hand out for her to grab which she did.

Punk walked right inside and AJ's hand tightened around his.

"There you are" Jennifer smiled walking over and hugging Punk, then AJ who still wouldn't let got of Punk's hand "We were worried when we couldn't get you two yesterday"

"Yea that's why we're here" Punk said to her

"Everything ok?" Jennifer asked

"Yes better than ok" Punk smiled

"I'm intrigued" Jennifer grinned "Elliot! Phil is back!"

At that moment Elliot entered the large formal living room with Mia and Devon.

"Good they're here can we eat now?" Devon asked

"Be patient I think they have something to say" Jennifer grinned

"Yea we do" Punk said now starting to feel nervous himself

"You're engaged!" Mia shouted happily "Right?"

"Sort of" Punk said with a nervous chuckle

"We got married" AJ blurted and everyone was silent

"We flew to Vegas Monday night" Punk told them

"Married?" Mia repeated

"As in husband and wife?" Devon asked

"Wow" Jennifer forced out "I must say I always looked forward to my first child's wedding"

"I'm sorry" AJ said letting go of Punk and walking over to her "It's just we wanted to do it and-"

"You don't owe me an explanation" Jennifer smiled at her kindly "I'll get over the initial shock, I mean do you two have pictures at least? I mean I can pretend that I was there" she said giving AJ a hug

"We do" Punk said to her

"Welcome to the family" Elliot smiled pulling AJ into a hug "Always wanted another daughter"

"Wait a second" Devon started "Did you go through the lawyers?" he asked Punk

"What do you mean?" Punk asked

"A prenuptial agreement" Devon said sternly "Did she even sign one?"

"Devon" Mia hissed

"No this is important Mia" Devon argued "I mean no offense I'm sure you two really are in love but you've know each other for what? Ten minutes? Do you even know this girl?"

"Devon!" Jennifer warned

"It's enough" Elliot said to Devon as well

"It's ok" AJ said to them "I understand"

"I don't mean to be disrespectful-" he started

"Well you are so shut the fuck up" Punk warned him "This is my wife you're talking to and you'll do it with respect"

"AJ is grieving" Mia reminded Devon "If anyone is to blame for this it's him" she said referring to Punk

"No it's not like that" AJ argued lightly

"It's ok" Mia said smiling "I'm happy you two got married it's just I wish Punk would have waited until you were actually ready instead of forcing you down the aisle before you were ready"

"I asked him" AJ announced before Punk could respond to Mia "I realized these last few weeks how short life is. And once we talked about it we decided to just elope, we didn't want anything fancy or over the top"

"It's just sudden" Mia said to her "I mean in a week are you going to feel the same? I think you're still in shock from everything that has happened and we don't blame you-"

"This is why we didn't tell anyone" Punk said to her then looked around the room "We're married now. There's no prenuptial" he said glaring towards Devon "Even though AJ insisted on signing one" Devon shook his head in disbelief "Nobody forced anybody into anything either" he said looking at Mia

"Is she pregnant?" Dean asked walking out of the kitchen, Punk hadn't even realized he was here

"No" AJ said holding back a laugh

"Well congrats dude!" Dean said raising his beer bottle

"Thank you" Punk said to him

"I knew you two would end up married" Jennifer added with a smile "I'm just bitter I missed it"

"Well we'll throw them a reception at least" Elliot said to Jennifer "You will at least let us do that, right?" he asked the two

"Yea" Punk said to him "But if you're going to walk in there and be negative or say stupid things don't bother showing up" he said looking towards his brother and sister

"I don't think it's a mistake" Mia said to them "I'm just surprised, sorry if I offended you" she said to Punk who could never stay mad at Mia.

"I appreciate that" Punk said to her

"And hey" she said to AJ and pulled her into a hug "Welcome to Klein family"

"She's a Brooks actually" Devon added "Just with access to all of the Klein money"

"It's ok" She whispered to Punk who was ready to pounce

"It's really not about the money" AJ said to them "I love Phil very much and I know you all do as well and I promise to take really good care of him" she said to them

"We know that" Elliot laughed "You've been taking good care of him since you met him"

"Yea when was that? Two days ago?" Devon asked

"You're pushing it" Punk warned Devon who just shook his head

"Yea lighten up man" Dean added sipping on his beer

"Well it could be worse" Devon said to them "Mia could have brought this one into the family but at least AJ has manners" he shot at Dean

"I'm not disagreeing" Dean said seriously

"Devon we're going to celebrate AJ and Phil's big news but if you can't be supportive then you can leave" Jennifer said to him

"Of course" Devon laughed "I'll go since the rest of you are clearly insane" he said grabbing his jacket "I have to be at the club anyway" he said walked towards to the door but stopped in front of AJ. "It really isn't personal" he said to her "You seem like-"

"Stop talking to my wife" Punk said calmly and Devon just laughed lightly then walked out of the house.

"He always overreacts" Mia assured AJ "Just give him a few days"

"It's ok" Punk said shooting AJ a wink "This went better than you thought anyway"

"I don't want him to be upset" AJ frowned

"He's a big baby" Punk shrugged

"Enough about Devon" Jennifer warned everyone then smiled at AJ "I want details on the wedding and please tell me you didn't get married by an Elvis impersonator"

"No" AJ smiled "It was a small little chapel"

"Sounds wonderful" Jennifer said pulling her over to the couch and Mia followed

"I have a few pictures on my phone we're waiting for them to send us an album" AJ told them.

Punk smirked as AJ, his mother and sister giggled and talked about the wedding.

"Congratulations son" Elliot said shaking Punk's hand

"Thanks" Punk said to him "Going to give me shit about the prenup too?"

"No. Jennifer never signed one either" Elliot said to him "I just hope you realize it's not about you anymore. Once you put a ring on her finger you agreed to put yourself second"

"That's not a problem for me" Punk said honestly

"It's a huge responsibility" Elliot warned "After one fight you can't just run off. This is a very serious commitment"

"I'm not going anywhere trust me" Punk said to him "I've never been so sure about anything in my entire life"

"I know" Elliot smirked "It took you three weeks to pick what kind of napkins to order for the club"

"I knew it was the right thing to do because I couldn't think of a reason not to" Punk said to him "It's selfish of me but she makes me happy"

"Good for you" Elliot smiled proudly "I like her a lot if that matters"

"It does" Punk said to him "I appreciate it"

"I also trust you" Elliot said to him "So if you're telling me she's the one and only for you then I support you"

"Thank you" Punk said sincerely

* * *

After an early dinner Punk and AJ went over to Celeste's to being the packing process. Punk had actually forgotten about Jeff until he spotted his car outside of Celeste's place.

"Are you going to be nice?" AJ asked her new husband

"Me? I'm always nice" Punk scoffed at her accusation and she rolled her eyes

"You don't have to stay if it makes you uncomfortable" AJ said taking off her seatbelt

"Oh no I'll be all right" Punk said forcing a smile.

Once inside the house it was quiet, Jeff seemed nervous to even speak to AJ due to Punk's murderous glares.

"Do you want this?" AJ asked Jeff as she passed him some photos "They're mostly photos of you two"

"Yea" Jeff smiled opening the box of photos "You're in this one" he said passing her the photo of the three of them in the park "You look so different yet the same, does that make sense?" he asked with a laugh

"No it doesn't" Punk chimed in from the kitchen as he placed some dishes into boxes

"I just mean she's completely grown up since I've last seen her" Jeff said to Punk

"It's been a long time" AJ said to him standing up "I'm going work on her bedroom"

"Yea ok" Punk said and watched her walk down the hall "So she looked like a kid when you last saw her but that didn't stop you from sleeping with her"

"I guess AJ told you" Jeff said standing to his feet "I don't really know you but AJ seems to like you-"

"She's my wife" Punk said cutting him off and Jeff's eyes widened

"Wife?" Jeff questioned "I didn't notice any rings"

"We didn't get them yet" Punk said to him "So AJ did fill me in on how you and Celeste were foster siblings and you used to hang out with her and AJ all of the time"

"It's true" Jeff said to him

"You were older then them" Punk pointed out "You probably knew AJ had a crush on you"

"Yea" Jeff smirked "It was really cute actually"

"So you took her for a tattoo, fucked her and never spoke to her again?" Punk asked "I mean for someone you saw as a kid that's a little disturbing"

"I'm not here for AJ" Jeff said to him "I'm here for Celeste"

"Where were you when she first went missing?" Punk asked him casually

"I was on tour I didn't even know she was missing until I heard she was found" Jeff said to him

"On tour?" Punk asked with a laugh

"AJ didn't mention I have a band?" Jeff questioned

"No" Punk laughed "She didn't say much about you"

"Relax" Jeff said to him "I'm here to help AJ and say goodbye to Celeste that's all"

"She looked like a little girl apparently when you slept with her the first time now she looks all grown up" Punk pointed out "Your eyes linger on her too. I don't like it"

"When did you two get married?" Jeff asked out of know where "Was that where you two were yesterday?"

"What's it to you?" Punk asked

"She's grieving. She lost the only person in her life don't you feel about taking advantage of her emotional state?" Jeff questioned

"I don't think you're really in any position to comment about my wife's emotional state" Punk noted calmly "Don't come in here and pretend like you're an authority on her, you haven't seen or spoken to her in years."

"I still know her longer than you do" Jeff retorted

"And I know her better" Punk shot at the man

"What's going on?" AJ asked walking into the kitchen

"Nothing" Both said at the same time

"I didn't realize you had gotten married AJ" Jeff said to her

"Yes we did" she said happily

"Congrats" Jeff said to her "I hope you're happy"

"Thank you" She said to him

"Look I need to get out of here" Jeff said to them "I have a show tonight you both should come"

"Where are you playing?" AJ asked

"This club called Tonic" Jeff told them

"What?" Punk asked alarmed "Tonic is a dance club"

"They're having a live band night to test it out" Jeff shrugged

"That's our theme for our new place" AJ whispered to Punk

"Yes I'm aware" Punk mumbled "Have fun, the place is wonderful but we'll be celebrating our marriage tonight"

"No it's horrible" AJ said to Jeff who frowned "Randy hangs out there- or used to anyway. The owner is just as bad as Randy"

"I didn't realize that" Jeff said to her

"How did you book this?" Punk asked curiously "I thought you were leaving town a few days ago anyway"

"The club reached out to me, said they heard of my band and knew I was in town" Jeff said to him

"You didn't find that weird?" Punk snorted

"No, not at first anyway" Jeff said giving it thought

"You shouldn't do it. At least out of respect for Celeste" AJ insisted

"Yea I'll call the guys" Jeff said to her then looked at AJ "So I guess this is it"

"It was nice seeing you Jeff" She said giving him a quick hug

"I'll try to keep in touch" he assured her "Nice meeting you Punk, take care of her"

"I will" Punk said to him narrowing his eyes at him. He picked up the box of stuff he wanted to keep and left.

"See he's not so bad" AJ said to Punk

"Yea he's wonderful" Punk said to her as he closed up a box "Want to give it a rest for the night?"

"Yea actually I do" AJ said to him "I just hate being here"

"Where's the stuff you want to keep? Because if you picked it all out I can have people come here and finish packing it up"

"I'm not keeping anything" AJ said to him and he frowned

"Why?" Punk asked

"What's the point?" AJ asked him "It's just going to remind me that she's gone"

"AJ" Punk started

"There's nothing here for me" AJ said to him "Anything I bring into our home is going to remind me of this place. And all I think of when I'm here is how much pain she was in. Did she cry? Did she beg for her life? Did he even care? Did he even feel bad? How much did she suffer? Did-"

"Shh" Punk said wrapping his arms around her and she let go and cried and cried in his arms.

"I hate this place" she said against his chest as his shirt was soaked in tears "I hate him and I hate what happened"

"I know" Punk soothed

"I just want answers" she said to him

"And you'll get them" Punk promised

* * *

Punk was setting up the bedroom to set the mood for their first night in their home as a married couple. He told AJ they could just relax and not do anything tonight but she insisted on it tonight. He wasn't a candles and rose pedal type of guy but because they couldn't take their honeymoon right away this would have to do.

"Ready?" AJ asked stepping into the room

"Yea I was just-" his ability to speak was gone when he turned around and saw his petite wife in white lingerie. "I uh-" he tried to speak again but AJ smiled and walking over to him

"Sit" AJ said to him. He was only in his boxers and took the seat on the edge of the bed.

"I am so lucky" he said eyeing her as he licked his lips.

"I was going to say the same thing" she smiled as she lowered to her knees before him and he knew what was coming and began to twitch with excitement. "I also want to thank you"

"For what?" Punk asked

"For making me the happiest girl in the world" she said to him and began to massage his left calf "For supporting me and holding me while I cried nonstop for two weeks, for not being scared off, for just being you"

"I should be thanking you" Punk said to her

"But me thanking you is going to be so much better" she smiled and kissed her way up his thigh. He watched as she gave the same treatment to his other leg and he was now fully hard dying for her touch him.

"You want some attention" She smirked seeing the large bulge in his boxers and he nodded

"Yea just a little" he groaned starting to feel uncomfortable. He lifted his hips so she could take his boxers off and watched her place her mouth just over the tip of his erect member and sucked as if he was lollipop.

AJ stood up and straddled him and took him into her hands. She was inches from his face and when he moved to kiss her she pulled her face away. She also ran her now damp panties over his hard member, knowing the friction would drive him as crazy it was her.

"You're teasing me" He scolded as AJ continued to move her hand up and down over him

"Is it making you mad?" AJ asked amused

"Is that your goal with this?" Punk asked growing frustrated

"I want you to take control" she said to him

"I can do that" He said easily

"No" she said shaking her head "All the stories I've heard about you, everything everyone has warned me about- I want"

"AJ-" he started

"I want you to have me the way you want" she said to him as she let go of his member and rolled her hips into him causing him to hiss

"Let's not do this tonight" He said to her "Let's just-" he started but she did it again and wrapped herself around his body so her breasts were flush against his chest

"I know you want me" she whispered into his ear "Take me". She rolled into him one final time and that was it for him he lifted her up and dropped her onto the bed. He looked down at her beautiful eyes and saw the excitement in her eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" Punk asked looking like he was ready to pounce and she nodded. He reached over to her panties and ripped them off of her body and AJ was now more excited then ever and jumped onto her body.

Without removing her bra he smothered his face in-between her cleavage and moved down her body, his lips were touching her but he wasn't kissing her- just feeling her. Just as his face hit the hipbones he pulled away and it was her now who was frustrated.

"Show me what you want" Punk said to her and she looked confused. He took her hand and placed it over her sex and forced herself inside.

"Oh" she said slightly surprised but did as he told her to and he eventually moved his hand away.

"You look so sexy doing that" Punk said to her as he smoothed his hair back and watched her with lustful eyes. "Use another finger" he told her and she did what he told her. He leaned over he body and his tongue rammed into her mouth causing her to moan from the kiss. He pulled his mouth away and placed his finger into her mouth and she happily sucked on it but now she was ready for him, she was already regretting this little game.

"Ok I'm ready" AJ said to him and he moved her fingers out of her body and closely examined her

"Not yet" he said and she nearly cried out in frustration. He flipped her onto her stomach and began to kiss down her spin. She was arching her ass up slightly until she made contact with his shaft. "That'll come in due time" he warned against her skin and her eyes widened, she had never had sex that way but she was sure Punk would take care of her. She felt his hand move down her ass as he continued to kiss under her neck. She felt him take the finger she had been sucking on and he ran it around the rim of her entrance there.

"Phil" she warned and he ever so slowly entered just the tip of his finger into her.

"This is what you wanted" he reminded her

"I trust you" she said to him and he pulled out of her and rolled her back onto her back.

"I love that you do and I won't ever take advantage of the trust you have in me" Punk said to her

"I'll try that" she said to him unsurely

"Not tonight" he smiled and kissed her roughly and she couldn't help but arch up so high that she pushed his own body up slightly. "I know honey" he said to her and lowered her against the bed and spread her legs and entered her swiftly

Punk's hands were on her hips and his nails were digging into her flesh, it hurt AJ but she actually liked it. He pushed her up the bed while still in her body which only pushed her further to the edge.

"Oh my god!" She cried out as he rammed into her and she climaxed around him but he wasn't even close to being finished. His hands locked around her bed frame and used it as leverage to push harder and deeper into his new wife.

AJ was already so sensitive since from her first orgasm that she lost it again. He was moving so hard and he was going as deep as possible that she couldn't help it. She was actually crying tears of pleasure if that was even possible. Her hands we're on his side but she was losing the strength to hold onto him.

"Phil!" she practically sobbed

"Want me stop?" he asked her as he looked down and saw her red face

"Never" she moaned and regained some strength and moved with his hips now.

Her legs were spread as far as possible and that's when Punk realized how flexible his new wife really was. That was going to be fun he thought to himself. AJ used all the strength she had to lift her legs and wrap them around his waist causing him to let go of the frame and practically get on his knees as he pushed straight down into her and she was lost in her third orgasm and he finally released.

AJ was catching her breath and was finding it hard to even keep her eyes open. She was surprised to see Punk seemingly felt the same way. She moved her fingers over his lips to get his attention and he captured her index finger with his teeth causing her to giggle.

"I love that laugh" he said grabbing her and pulling her against his chest "I love you" he said kissing her lips

"So you're not regretting this yet?" she asked with a smirk

"Never" he said to her "What about you?"

"The only thing I regret is not unleashing you like that before" AJ smiled

"We have a lifetime for nights like this" Punk promised


	23. Old Faces

**Old Faces**

* * *

After taking another few days to acclimate into married life Punk had to return to SXS. Even though he was more focused on his new venture with AJ he couldn't leave Devon in charge forever. He even convinced AJ to come to work with him tonight so she could get a feel of the business but he had no doubt she was smart enough to catch on.

As soon as Punk walked into the club he was annoyed, there were small changes made that he didn't approve and knew Devon had used his new power to make things the way he wanted. The bar was set up differently, the napkins were changed and some of the furniture had been moved around. AJ followed him up to his office and saw Devon sitting behind Punk's desk.

"What is this?" Punk asked looking around the office that was also changed

"I made a few changes, it looks much better" Devon told him "You're welcome"

"Change all my stuff back and not just my office the shit downstairs too" Punk warned taking his jacket off

"Relax" Devon warned "The place looks ten times better"

"Fuck that" Punk grunted

"How about thank you Devon for taking such good care of my club so I could run off and get married?" Devon mocked

"I was helping my wife plan her best friends funeral" Punk scolded "And by the way AJ is standing right here you can be somewhat polite and greet her"

"You told me not to talk to her" Devon reminded him "Hey little sister" he smirked towards AJ who smiled nervously

"You can go now" Punk said to him "I'm back now"

"There's a few more changes you should know about" Devon warned

"I don't want to hear about them because it's all going back" Punk said to him "Every change you made without my consent"

"Hi Mr. Klein" A skinny brunette walked into the room wearing a skin tight red dress "I just wanted to let you know I'm here"

"Wonderful" Devon smiled "Nikki this is Punk he runs the club" he introduced the two

"I remember Punk" she smiled giving Punk a kiss hello causing AJ to narrow her eyes at her "It's been a long time"

"Ok" Punk said to her "What are you doing here?"

"She's your new VIP hostess" Devon told him

"I don't need that" Punk said to him

"Yea you do" Devon said to him "I'm sorry Nikki could you give us a minute?"

"Sure" she smiled and walked out of the room

"Is this a fucking joke?" Punk asked him

"Sorry when I interviewed her I didn't think to ask if she ever fucked you" Devon said annoyed "It would also make it really difficult to hire any female"

"It's not about that I don't even remember her" Punk said seriously

"What a charming man you married" Devon said to AJ who looked very uneasy

"Get out" Punk said pointing to the door "Take your stupid cheap napkins and new fuck buddy with you"

"Does it bother you?" Devon asked

"It bothers me that you hired a woman that we didn't so you could get your dick wet" Punk spat

"She's married" Devon said to him

"You're sleeping with a married woman?" Punk asked disgusted

"You never have?" Devon asked

"No!" Punk yelled at him

"So she wasn't married when you slept with her?" Devon asked

"I don't remember her!" Punk yelled again "Get rid of her"

"I can do it" AJ chimed in happily

"Give her a chance her husband is backing your new club" Devon told him standing up

"Are you fucking crazy?" Punk demanded

"Brilliant is more like it" Devon said to him "This guy is going to back your new club and he has a lot of connections-"

"And if he finds out you're sleeping with his wife?" Punk asked, Devon just shrugged

"Not my problem its your club" Devon said grabbing his jacket "And again, you're welcome" He said slapping Punk's shoulder on his way out.

"Are you going to keep her here?" AJ asked as soon as Devon left the office

"I don't really have a choice now" Punk said to her "Don't worry about her"

"She could at least wear a uniform…or a dress that can zip past her breasts" AJ said folding her arms and Punk smiled

"You're jealous" he grinned

"No" She defended and even she didn't believe her own lie

"I'm married to you, it's all good" Punk assured her

"Yea I know and speaking of that when are we getting our wedding bands?" AJ asked him and he smiled as he took a seat behind his desk

"Do you really think having the wedding band off makes me any less married to you?" he questioned amusingly

"It just says 'hey back off'" AJ said to him "I mean I know you have a very long past but how will these women know?"

"I'll tell them" Punk said to her seriously "Don't worry about it or Nancy for that matter"

"I think her name was Nikki" AJ pointed out

"Fuck, I'm going to have to write that down" he mumbled grabbing a pen

* * *

AJ was sitting next to Punk later in the evening as he showed her some of the more boring parts of the job- the paperwork. She found it very difficult to pay attention because everything he did seemed sexy to her. She was playing with a strand of her hair with her finger and nodded along absentmindedly as he went over the budget.

"What's wrong?" Punk asked her

"Huh? Me? Nothing" she said quickly

"You hate this, it's boring- I know. I'll handle all of this at the new club you won't have to worry about it" Punk promised

"No I want to learn it" AJ said to him with a smile "It's just you're very distracting"

"Me?" Punk asked with a laugh "Do you find budgets sexy?"

"I find anything you do sexy" she said to him

"Alright" Punk said closing the folder and placing it in his desk

"What are you doing?" AJ asked

"I'm going to fuck you on my desk" he said to her and she let out a laugh

"We can't do this now I'm supposed to be learning and I'll never learn if we do this" AJ said to him

"You're not learning now" Punk pointed out. "Hop on" He said tapping the desk

"No" she laughed. But Punk stood up and picked her up with ease and placed her on the desk. "This is so bad anyone can walk in"

"I locked the door" Punk assured her and was inches from her face when the door swung open.

"Sorry" Nikki blushed slightly

"I thought I locked it" Punk mumbled to AJ "Yea?" he asked peering over AJ's shoulder towards Nikki

"There's a Paul Heyman here to see you" Nikki said to him "I told him you were both occupied but he was really rude" she frowned

"It's fine" Punk said as he helped AJ off his desk

"He's actually here to see AJ" Nikki said to him and Punk frowned then looked towards AJ

"You can send him in" Punk said to her "Is there anything I should know before he comes in here?"

"I don't think so" AJ said unsurely

"Wonderful you're both here" Paul smiled walking in and closing the door behind him. "But I really need to only speak to Ms. Mendez"

"It's Mrs. Brooks actually" Punk corrected and Paul's face fell "And anything you have to say to her you can say in front of me"

"You married her?" Paul asked with a laugh looking at Punk

"You have two minutes before I have Roman throw you out on your ass" Punk warned

"This won't take that long" Paul said to him "I'm here on behalf of my client Seth Rollins and he first and foremost wants to send his condolences to you" he said to AJ who remained quiet "Which is why he is taking the high road in this situation but if you continue to sabotage his business ventures he will bring legal action against you"

"Excuse me?" Punk asked

"Mr. Rollins had a band pullout of a show last minute due to AJ's unfair opinion of him" Paul told him

"Isn't it my right to have my opinion?" AJ asked him

"Sure" Paul agreed "But once it starts costing my client money it becomes slander"

"If you're referring to Jeff that's too bad but Jeff has been a friend of mine for a very long time. He asked for my opinion on Seth and I gave it" AJ shrugged

"He told Mr. Rollins you asked him not to work the show" Paul said to her

"Don't talk to him anymore" Punk instructed AJ "Get out of my club and don't come back with stupid threats again"

"It's not a threat it's a promise" Paul said to him "I also am fully aware of AJ's PI who has been snooping around Tonic"

"AJ has nothing to do with that she's not paying her former PI" Punk informed him "He does not work for her, maybe he just enjoys the club" he shrugged

"We had nothing to do with Ms. Bonin's death and we have cooperated fully with the police" Paul said formally

"Liar" AJ mumbled

"What was that?" Paul asked

"You're a liar" she hissed "You and your client had a hand in my friends death."

"That's called a false accusation" Paul informed her smugly "And that can also-"

"Shut up" Punk warned and reached for the phone connected to his desk "I need security up in my office"

"I'm going, I'm going" Paul said holding his hands up in defeat "AJ, Mr. Rollins knows you're upset and you obviously have questions. You can call me and we can set up a meeting between you two" he said passing her his card but Punk snatched it and ripped it up

"You have thirty seconds before security kicks in this door" Punk warned.

"Fine" Paul said "And oh, congratulations" then walked out the door.

"Sorry" she said to her new husband "I didn't realize asking Jeff not to work the club would get me in trouble"

"It didn't" Punk said to her "They just want you to know they know. It's stupid, don't let it bother you"

"What if he does sue me?" AJ asked

"He won't" Punk said to her "Now where were we?"

"I'm not feeling too well" She said to him and he frowned at her

"Do not let Paul Heyman intimidate you" He warned

"When I saw him I thought of Randy" AJ admitted "It set me off"

"Alright" Punk said to her "I'll take you home"

"No you have so much work to do and tomorrow I promise to be a perfect employee" AJ assured him

"Don't worry about that" Punk said to her "I'll have Roman take you home"

"It's fine I'll take a cab" AJ said to him and he nodded as he reached for his phone

"Yea Roman I need you to pull the car around and take my wife home" Punk said into the phone then hung up.

"You didn't have to do that" AJ said to him

"Feel better" he said giving her a sweet kiss.

* * *

AJ was in the backseat of the SVU as Roman drove her home. She peered outside the window and couldn't get Celeste out of her head after seeing Paul.

"Can you make a stop?" AJ asked Roman

"Punk said to bring you home" Roman informed her

"There's some stuff at my old place I need" she said to him

"I think everything is pretty much packed out of there" Roman told her

"I need to go there" AJ told him "So either you can take me all of the way home and I'll wait for you to leave or you can make life easier for the both of us and just take me to my old place"

"Ok Mrs. Brooks" Roman sighed and turned directions to go to AJ's old place.

Roman waited in the car and watched as AJ used her old key and walked into the apartment. She knew Punk had told her he'd take care of all of Celeste's stuff but she was starting to feel guilty about that and wanted something to remember her friend. When AJ stepped inside the entire place was dark and empty, no furniture, no pictures- completely bare. The lights didn't even work in the place but she still headed towards the bedroom in hopes of finding something that could have been left behind. When she entered the bedroom she was startled to a see a shadow.

"Celeste?" AJ asked hopefully, maybe there was a mistake- or maybe she was just crazy? The shadow turned around and stepped in front of the window to reveal their face. "Oh my god" AJ sobbed out covering her mouth with her hand.

"AJ" Randy started but AJ turned and ran out the door "Don't!" he yelled chasing after her and grabbing her arm and when she turned she kneed him in his groin but not hard enough, he fell to his knees but was able to grab AJ's ankle causing her to smack her face on the floor, she was pretty sure she chipped a tooth. "What happened?" he asked pressing his body into hers.

"Just let me go" AJ cried trying to look away from him

"Where is she?" Randy asked

"You should already know" AJ said crying "You killed her!"

"I didn't" Randy sobbed out, he was crying so hard that AJ's shirt felt wet from it. "I heard the news- I couldn't-"

"You did" AJ seethed "You beat her to death!"

"I didn't!" Randy shouted "I loved her!"

"You beat her to death!" AJ yelled out again "Get off of me! My driver is right outside and he will kill you" she warned

"You did this" Randy said to her "You set me up! You sent her the text I sent you. You started all of this! I didn't kill her but you're the reason she's dead" he cried squeezing her arms so hard she knew they would bruise "I begged them not to"

"Who?" AJ asked then the pain in her arms became too much "You're hurting me"

"You deserve to hurt" Randy hissed as his spit hit her face "You killed her!"

"You did!" AJ shouted back crying "The police are looking for you they're going to find you and you're going to go to prison for what you did to Celeste!"

"I should kill you for what you did" Randy said to her, AJ was confused but the fear of having this large man on top of her and practically breaking her arms halted any questions she had for him. AJ's phone started to ring from her bag that was in the living room.

"That's Phil" AJ said to him "He's looking for me and he's going to send his guard in here any second" she whispered to him

"I loved her" Randy cried and AJ just nodded fearfully. He then jumped off of AJ and ran back to Celeste's room.

AJ wasn't sure if she should follow him or run out and grab Roman but she was just frozen on the floor. She didn't even hear Roman enter the apartment until he said kneeling over her.

"Mrs. Brooks?" He asked helping her sit up "What happened?" he ran his thumb just under her lip and saw blood, probably from when she hit the floor.

"Randy" she said to him

"Where?" Roman asked standing up now as his eyes scanned the small apartment

"He went into Celeste's room" AJ told him.

"Go to the car" He ordered AJ but she didn't move. She watched as Roman slowly crept towards the bedroom and pulled a gun out of his back pocket and enter the room. She didn't hear anything and a minute later Roman came back out. "No one was in there but her window was open he must have jumped out. Come on" He said leaning over and helping AJ to her feet. "Are you hurt?" he asked as he led her out the door.

"We should call the police" AJ said to him as he walked her to the car

"I will but first you" Roman said "You have a bloody mouth, did he hit you?"

"No" AJ shook her head "I fell and hit my mouth on the floor but he grabbed my arms and they hurt"

"Alright I'm going to take you home" Roman said opening the back door for her

"But Randy-" AJ started

"I'll call Steve on my way but right now I need to get you away from here" He said ushering her in the car.

* * *

Roman escorted AJ home and waited inside until Punk arrived.

"You really can go" AJ said to him "I was just surprised earlier"

"Punk wants me to wait, I wait" Roman said to her and she just sighed

"Why do you have a gun?" AJ asked him

"I work security" Roman told her

"Do you have a permit for it?" AJ asked

"Yes" Roman said to her

"Have you ever used it?" she questioned

"This one? No" he said to her

"But you've used a gun before?" she asked

"I did two tours in Iraq" Roman told her and she nodded

"Thank you for your service" AJ said quietly and Roman gave her half a smile

"My job is to protect the Klein family you are now part of that family" Roman told her "I don't use this weapon unless I have to and if I did have to I'd know how to use it safely"

Punk walked in a second later and slammed the door closed behind him.

"Hi" AJ said as Punk walked right towards her

"Are you ok?" Punk frowned looking her over and saw the bruises already forming on her arms

"It's not that bad anymore" She said to him

"You let her go in there alone?" Punk asked Roman "And I specifically remember telling you to bring her straight home"

"He didn't know anyone was there" AJ argued "Besides I made him take me there"

"Why did you go back there?" Punk asked

"Because I felt bad about not having anything of Celeste's, I obviously changed my mind but everything was gone" AJ said to him "I didn't know Randy would be there"

"What did he say to you?" Punk asked

"He said he didn't kill her" AJ told him "He was crying and seemed really upset. He said it was my fault this happened to her"

"Did you call Austin?" Punk asked Roman who nodded "Any leads?"

"Not yet. A couple of neighbors called and said they saw a man running through their yards" Roman said to him

"Alright thanks" Punk said to him "I'll take it from here"

"Night" Roman said then walked out the door

"You didn't have to be so mean to him" AJ said to him

"I don't give a shit about his feelings I care about you" Punk said to her "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Honestly I was terrified" AJ admitted "But he didn't hurt me and he could have"

"What was he doing there?" Punk asked more himself

"I don't know" AJ said to him "When I first got there I thought he was Celeste because he was in her room"

"And what was he doing?" Punk asked

"Crying" AJ shrugged "He seemed like a man who lost his girlfriend not like a man who killed her. I'm just confused now."

"It's not your job to figure it out" Punk told her "Let Steve handle this"

"I should talk to him" AJ suggested

"Tomorrow" Punk said to her "So explain to me again why you went back there?"

"I wanted to see if there was something left there of hers" AJ said to him "Stupid I know" she said to him as he took a seat next to her on the couch "But after seeing Paul I started to feel like I was forgetting Celeste."

"I donated most of her stuff" Punk told her "But I did put some of her more personal belongings in storage just in case you changed your mind" he said to her and she felt relieved "I wish you would have mentioned this to me before you went there"

"You really saved her stuff?" AJ asked softly

"Just the stuff that seemed too personal to donate or throw out" Punk told her "I hope you don't mind-" but AJ threw her arms around him

"Thank you" she said and felt him hugging her back


	24. Ladies Night

**Ladies Night**

* * *

AJ was back at the club the following Monday but not as an employee but as a patron. She was getting back into her old routine and Punk insisted on her spending the night with her friends.

"It feels weird to sit here when I should be working" AJ frowned towards Mia and Maria

"You're crazy" Maria laughed sipping on her third drink of the night "You need some time off to relax a bit"

"I've had nothing but time" AJ argued

"No offense but it's not like you've been on vacation" Mia said to her "You were very busy with Celeste" even hearing her named pained AJ. "You deserve a fun night to hang out with your friend Maria and your new sister Mia" she said proudly

"So we're over the initial shock?" AJ asked her

"Yes" Mia said to her "And when I spoke out it wasn't against you"

"I know it was against Phil" AJ said to her "But we're a team now"

"I get it" Mia smiled

"I still can't believe you got him locked down" Maria laughed "Seriously the guy couldn't even commit to a pet fish"

"Who is that?" Mia asked eyeing Nikki entering Punk's office

"Ugh your other brother hired her" AJ said annoyed "I wanted to fire her but Punk said we have to keep her because her husband is investing in the new club"

"Can you at least tell her to button her dress up higher?" Maria asked

"Seriously she's flaunting herself in front of your husband" Mia said seriously

"What can I do about that?" AJ asked them

"You're married to Punk" Maria said seriously "This club is technically half yours and if you don't like the way she is dressing you need to stand up and say it"

"She's married" AJ reminded them "Even though I'm pretty sure she's sleeping with Devon"

"She's right up Devon's alley" Maria said and Mia nodded

"I can't say anything to her" she said as Nikki walked out of Punk's office and past them

"Why not?" Mia asked

"Look at her" AJ mumbled watching the perky young woman bounce by. Wearing a short blue-buttoned dress, AJ just felt she didn't compare.

"Yea and?" Mia asked "She's not Punk's wife you are and you are hot"

"Totally hot" Maria agreed sipping her drink.

"You're wearing a simple black dress and heels and you're ten times prettier than her" Mia said to her "You don't need makeup, you don't need your breasts to pop out either"

"Isn't she supposed to be our hostess?" Maria whispered "She hasn't come over once"

"Because she too busy sneaking into Punk's office" Mia said to her

"They slept together" AJ informed them but neither seemed surprised

"There's not many women in Chicago you're going to meet who haven't" Maria informed her and Mia slapped her friend in the arm

"Go over there and tell her to stop dressing like she's heading to the corner and tell her to stop hanging out in your husbands office" Mia demanded

"I don't know" AJ said nervously and Mia passed her a shot

"Go ahead, liquid courage" Mia insisted and AJ took the small glass and downed the drink

"Holy Christ!" AJ shouted wiping her mouth "What was that?"

"Fireball" Maria said with a smile

"It tastes like big red" AJ said disgusted

"It'll loosen you up" Maria assured her "Excuse me" Maria shouted towards Nikki "We need a couple of more shots of fireball"

"Coming right up" Nikki smiled and walked away

"See? She's nice" AJ defended and both Maria and Mia shot her a glare

"Oh no" Dean said walking over to them "I know these looks"

"Hi baby" Mia greeted as Dean leaned down and kissed her

"So what's the problem?" Dean asked

"Here you go" Nikki said walking over with a tray with at least six shot glasses "Enjoy" she smiled and walked away. Dean couldn't even hide the fact that he was checking out the new employee.

"That's the problem" Mia said pinching his thigh causing him to yelp in pain

"Shit" He said rubbing his leg "Sorry"

"She is not dressed appropriately" Mia said to her boyfriend

"No she certainly isn't" Dean agreed with a cheeky grin

"Don't get used to it horn god" Mia said to him "AJ here is going to nip this in the bud"

"Really?" Dean asked with a chuckle

"Yea sure" AJ said unsurely and reached for another shot and downed it.

"You'll be fine" Mia assured her and AJ just nodded

"She doesn't really drink, Punk is going to pissed if you get her wasted" Dean warned Mia

"She deserves this break" Mia said to him "She hasn't been able to be free minded for weeks now"

"I agree but is fireball the way to go?" Dean asked her

"It's the only way to go" Maria said happily grabbing a glass and downing it

"You two are really bad influences" Dean said to the two

"Want one?" Mia asked handing him a shot

"I'm working" He said to her then peeked over his shoulder to see Punk still tucked away in his office "One won't kill me"

* * *

A few shot glasses down AJ was feeling lighter and when Nikki began to approach Punk's office for the sixth time of the evening AJ stood up. Of course she almost keeled right over but Mia and Dean helped her stand up.

"I got this" AJ said to them and Dean just held back a laugh and watched as AJ walked right up behind Nikki and tapped her shoulder.

"Is something wrong Mrs. Brooks?" she asked politely

"Yes your clothes" AJ said to her and Nikki looked surprised "I don't like the way you dress in front of my husband it's very inappropriate" she said folding her arms and tilting slightly in the process

"I didn't mean to offend you" Nikki said nervously

"You may have had sex with my husband at one time but he's my husband now and I don't want you in his office constantly and try to remember he's your boss, as am I and you should address him as Mr. Brooks just as you address as me as Mrs. Brooks" she said staying strong. "You're a very pretty girl but please you are married start acting like it"

"I'm sorry" Nikki said to her "I'll wear something else tomorrow"

"Thank you" AJ said to her "Now do you need something from my husband or are you just looking to flaunt your implants in his face?"

"He wanted these bar statements" Nikki said passing them to her

"I'll take care of it, you can go back to hosting" AJ said to her and she nodded. Mia gave AJ two thumbs up and Maria smiled at her.

AJ walked into her husband's office and he must not have realized it was her because he didn't even look up.

"Just leave them over there" Punk said as he was deep in reading whatever boring paperwork was currently on his desk.

"Ok" AJ said dropping the papers but missed the end table and started to giggle. Punk looked up at his wife and watched as she attempted to pick up the papers.

"Hi honey" Punk forced out

"Hi baby" she said picking the papers and placing them on the side table

"Having fun?" he asked leaning back in his swivel chair

"Yes" she grinned happily trying to walk over to him but almost tripped over her own feet

"Had a little to drink?" Punk questioned

"Maybe" she giggled walking behind his desk "Are you mad?"

"No you're an adult you can do what you want" Punk said as AJ straddled him in the chair. "You're going to regret it tomorrow morning though" he warned

"So I should make the most of tonight then" AJ smiled kissing him and he pulled away

"You taste like liquor" Punk pouted

"Oh so I guess a quickie in the office is out than?" she questioned. He titled his head sideways at her and shot her a grin. "That's a shame because I forgot to put on underwear tonight" she shrugged

"Really?" he asked intrigued but trying not to seem too excited

"Why don't you take a peek for yourself?" she suggested pressing into him slightly. Punk moved his hand to her ass and down her bare thigh because her dress was short then back up so it was under her dress and sure enough she was not lying.

"I'd prefer you wear underwear when you wear dresses" He said as his other hand joined in and played with the flesh of her backside.

"Why?" she asked as she decided to kiss him no matter how disgusted he was by the smell of her breath.

"It's easy access for people" Punk said to her as he pulled away from the kiss but not before tugging on her lower lip.

"I was trying to make it easy just for you" she smirked against his lips.

"I appreciate that" he said as he continued to paw at her ass.

"I spoke to Nikki about her clothing I hope you don't mind" AJ said to him

"What's wrong with her clothes?" Punk asked and AJ pulled away and placed her hands on his shoulders and looked down at him

"Seriously?" she asked

"What?" he asked innocently "I don't even look at her. What's wrong with her clothing?"

"You're a good husband" AJ smiled "I don't believe you but I'll choose to believe you" she said pecking his lips.

"You can do and say whatever you want here you have just as much say as I do here" Punk told her as he squeezed both her cheeks causing her to jerk into him.

"Don't tease me" AJ warned "If you're not going to finish me, don't bother starting"

"I'll finish you" Punk assured her

"I thought my breath grossed you out" AJ noted

"It does but other parts of you are making me forget" Punk said to her as AJ rolled her hips into him in an attempt to get him hard but he was already ready for her.

"Are you hard 24/7?" she teased as she left kisses over his jaw line

"Whenever I see you I am" Punk groaned into her ear "Your little dresses, your long hair, your strong sexy legs…so perfect" his hands lifted her dress slightly above her waist so she was open to him. AJ lifted her hips and wobbled in the chair slightly as Punk quickly unzipped his jeans and pulled his throbbing shaft out to her. She lowered herself onto him until she was practically sitting on his lap again.

"Oh this is good" AJ moaned as she began to lift herself up and down. "So, so, so good" she moaned loudly.

Punk gripped her hips and not for control but so she wouldn't fall right off of him. She was having trouble keeping balance on the chair but she was moving wildly which he was enjoying. Punk used his feet to pull the chair against his desk so AJ was resting against for more support. Her hands moved from his shoulders to the edge of the table and that helped her to apply more pressure to her movements.

"Fuck" Punk grunted out as he tried to slow AJ down. "AJ you gotta…" he started but she practically lifted completely off of him and dropped onto him.

"I am insanely jealous of how women look at you" AJ told him as she continued to move her hips "I want to scratch out all of their eyes"

"I only have eyes for you" he reminded her. But his eyes were currently closed while he tried not to let go too soon. AJ used her hands to grip his face causing him to open them and look at her.

"Let go" she whispered as continued to move up and down "Do it" she said as she now moved her hands all the way down to the hem of his shirt so her hands could run underneath it. "I could touch you forever" she admitted lustfully.

A few more movements and Punk couldn't help but explode. AJ stopped moving even though she didn't finish.

"Sorry" he muttered trying to calm his beating heart.

"It's alright" She promised him as she cradled his head against her chest to calm him slightly.

"I have never fucking done that before" he admitted "You just….you drive me fucking crazy, you drive my body crazy"

"That's never bad to hear" she smiled and kissed the side of his head. She pulled herself off of Punk and he frowned.

"Come back" he said as she tried to stand on her feet

"It's ok I can take care of myself" she said smiled drunkenly

"AJ-" he started and watched as she opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a long black tube.

"This will work" AJ smiled. She was clearly a kinky drunk but Punk quickly snatched it out of her hand.

"Do you know what this is?" Punk asked amused and she shrugged and pulled the tube to reveal it a small knife. "This could have been very painful for you"

"Woops" She laughed hysterically covering her mouth as she continued to laugh. Punk shook his head and placed the item back in his desk and zipped his jeans back up. "It's ok I'll just-" she started walking to the door but Punk grabbed her wrist and pushed her against the door.

"I'll take care of you" he smirked kissing her lips. He ran his hands down her arms and she scrunched her pretty face in slight pain and that reminded Punk of the marks left by Randy, who was still on the run except now there was a officially a warrant for his arrest. "Still hurts" he noted gently running his fingers over the marks now

"It's ok" AJ said sadly

"It's not but I'll make it better" he promised and kissed her with deep passion as she was pressed against the door.

She felt his hand slip under her dress and place his fingers inside of her without his lips ever leaving hers. She wrapped one leg around him while her hand gripped his neck to keep her lips attached his and to give him a better angle which he achieved with the curl of his fingers. Once his thumb found her clit she was done and completely let go around his digits. She finally pulled away from his mouth and could feel just how swollen they were and blushed.

"I have to get back out there" AJ said to him

"Are you sure you don't want to go home? I'm going to be here late-" Punk started

"I'll go home with you" she said to him "I'll stay out of trouble" she promised

"And try to take it easy on the drinking" he warned and she just gave him another slow kiss then walked out of his office.

* * *

Later that night the club was empty except for employees cleaning up, Dean and had taken Mia and Maria home and AJ fell asleep on the lounge couch in the VIP area while waiting for Punk to finish. When he glanced outside his office and saw her sleeping he knew he had to hurry up his paperwork to get her home. When Dean walked back up the stairs and saw AJ he chuckled and walked into Punk's office.

"Let me finish your paperwork, you take the little lady home" Dean teased "She's passed out cold"

"Yea I noticed" Punk said annoyed "Thanks to your girlfriend"

"All that excessive drinking is Maria" Dean defended "Seriously the place is almost all cleaned up it's almost four in the morning"

"I just need five more minutes" Punk said to him

"So how is married life?" Dean asked taking a seat across from Punk's desk

"It's awesome" Punk said to him honestly "I mean we haven't been married long but it's nice to have someone who unconditionally has your back, she's there when I come home, she's there when I wake up- it's awesome"

"I know a lot of people have given you shit over it but I'm happy for you" Dean said to him "I always knew you'd get married"

"Really?" Punk asked with a laugh

"To a girl just like AJ" Dean said firmly "She's good for you. Doesn't take your shit, loyal, honest" he said and Punk nodded in agreement

"She's pretty remarkable" he agreed "You ever think of getting married?"

"I ask your stubborn like every day" Dean laughed "She doesn't believe in any of that anymore because of Seth"

"She'll get over that" Punk said to him

"He fucked her up so bad" Dean said to him "Speaking of that nothing on Randy"

"No but he better pray Austin finds him before I do" Punk said to him

"I saw the bruises on her arms" Dean said with a wince

"He must have been high or something" Punk said to him "She said he was crying on her"

"Where could he have really gone?" Dean asked "I mean there's no way he left Chicago this time"

"Seth is probably hiding him somewhere" Punk said annoyed "But the guilt seems to be getting to Randy he'll slip up again. I just hope it doesn't involve AJ"

"You have Roman on her right?" Dean asked

"Yes and she complains everyday and it's only been a few days" Punk groaned "She doesn't want him to carry a gun, she doesn't want him following her to the supermarket- she's fucking difficult I'll tell you that"

"I don't think Randy is going to jump up at her at a supermarket" Dean said to him

"I'm not taking chances" Punk said seriously "Look at Celeste"

"Good point" Dean agreed

"And I hate to keep bringing it up but this has Rollins written over it and Mia has the biggest past with him out of all of this" Punk reminded him

"Relax" Dean said to him "I dropped her off at your parents house tonight because I know they have a security system. She stays there when I work"

"Good" Punk said to him

* * *

Seth Rollins strolled into SXS casually. Dressed in a black dress shirt and pants he walked past the cleanup crew and up the stairs to Punk's office. He stopped just short of walking in when he saw the new Mrs. Brooks sleeping on the couch. She looked different from the last few times he had seen her. She was wearing a short little dress that was riding up as she slept and high heels he was sure were Mia's.

He walked over and stood over her and gently pushed her hair out of her face to see if she was even still breathing.

"Fireball" Seth whispered to himself as he could smell it on her breath. He reached for the hem of her dress when he felt someone grab him by his neck with such a tight grip he was sure it would snap in half.

"What the fuck are you doing?" the voice hissed and Seth knew who it was, Roman. He dragged Seth into Punk's office and both Punk and Dean looked surprised to see Roman dragging Seth around.

"Roman you're supposed to take the trash outside" Dean said to his friend

"Caught him in the VIP area" Roman told them "Touching a passed out cold AJ"

"What?" Punk asked shooting out of his chair and Dean came to his feet as well

"Fucking over dramatic" Seth said barely able to be speak because Roman still had a tight grip. "I was checking to see if she was still alive!"

"Is her pulse located at the bottom of her dress?" Roman hissed

"You fucking pervert" Dean spat at the man

"Stay outside with AJ" Punk said to Roman who let go of Seth.

"I'll be outside, let me know if you need garbage bags or bleach" Roman said to Punk and Seth's eyes widen

"I was just trying to pull her dress down I didn't think you'd want the entire staff to see her like that" Seth defended "But that's not why I'm here I actually came by to talk about your new-" Seth didn't get to finish because Punk had pushed him up against his door and the knife that was in his desk drawer was now pressed into Seth's neck.

"I don't give a shit as to why you're here" Punk said to him as Dean watched carefully "You ever come back into my club you're going to leave the same way Celeste left her home, am I making myself clear?"

"I didn't have anything to do-" Seth started

"Are you hiding that psychopath?" Punk asked and jammed the knife against his neck harder

"No!" Seth yelled "Are you crazy you can't just pull knives on people!"

"I am crazy!" Punk yelled "You ever look or try to touch my wife again this knife will be jammed into your god damned throat" he threatened and pressed the knife just enough so he would cut Seth slightly. He could feel the blood lightly drip down his neck.

"You're making a huge mistake Brooks" Seth warned

"I don't think you're in any position to make threats" Dean noted casually leaning against Punk's desk with his arms folded

"Listen I'm here to talk to business" Seth insisted

"I don't want to talk to you ever and as soon as my new place goes up you won't even have a business anymore" Punk warned him and punched him in his stomach causing him to fall to his knees. "Get this piece of crap out of my club, take Roman with you- show him the back way out" he said to Dean

"My pleasure" Dean grinned

"Oh fuck" Seth sighed because he knew what was coming "I came here in peace"

"Should have thought of that before you sniffed around my wife" Punk said to him

"Come on shit head" Dean smiled pulling Seth to his feet and pulling him out of the office. Punk grabbed his jacket and walked over to Roman.

"Make it clear to him he's not welcome back here" Punk said to Roman who nodded.

Punk looked down at his poor wife who had no idea what was going on but couldn't help but smile as she scrunched up her nose, she was clearly dreaming but he couldn't have his wife sleeping in his club on his couch, work would have to wait. He grabbed her jacket and helped her into a sitting position and slipped her jacket on for her.

"Phil?" she asked in a droopy voice

"Yea baby" he assured her

"Are we going?" she asked with her eyes still closed her head resting against his shoulder.

"Yea I'm taking you home" He said then scooped under her legs and carried her in a bridal position.

"You're too good to me" she mumbled as she curled against him.

"Just sleep" he smirked as he carried her down the stairs and motioned for the clean up crew to be silent until he made it out the front door with his wife.


	25. Business As Usual

**A/N: I can't thank you all enough for your reveiws :)**

* * *

**Business As Usual**

* * *

The next day AJ was up by nine, slightly hung over and already regretting her late night drinking. But she had business meetings today and couldn't be slowed down. She snuck into her bedroom where Punk was still sleeping and placed the breakfast tray on the table before crawling onto the bed and waking him with a kiss.

"Morning" AJ smiled as he opened his eyes slowly

"That it is" Punk said with a yawn "Surprised you're up so early"

"I was feeling a little sick so I got up and took a shower" AJ said to him "And cooked you breakfast" she said pointing to the tray

"Pancakes" He smiled sitting up quickly and watched as AJ placed the tray before him.

"Pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee and orange juice" she said proudly

"Damn" He smiled "I'm not usually a breakfast person but this I can get used to"

"Good I'm glad you like it" AJ smiled getting off of the bed and grabbing a pair of black boots.

"Where are you going?" Punk asked "Aren't you eating with me?"

"No I have a meeting" AJ said to him and Punk frowned

"What? Where?" Punk asked

"I'm meeting Nikki's husband today at the new club" AJ reminded him

"Oh shit" He mumbled "I forgot about that. Give me five minutes-"

"No you take the day off" AJ said to him "I can handle the meeting"

"No offense AJ I appreciate you wanting to do more in the business but running your own meeting is a little much" Punk said to her

"I'll be fine I'm just going to give him a tour of the club" AJ said to him "Besides Devon is meeting us there as well"

"Wait" Punk laughed "Devon is sleeping with his wife"

"I don't think her husband knows that" AJ giggled "I can do this, let me do this"

"Alright" Punk said to her "Call Roman"

"I already did" AJ said and Punk was surprised but nodded with a smile

"Good girl" Punk cooed then looked over to his wife as he ate his pancakes "That's what you're wearing?" he asked her

"What's wrong with it?" she asked standing up wearing a sleeveless turtleneck red dress and a pair of high black boots.

"It's cold out" He replied with a shrug

"I have a jacket" AJ laughed

"It's just fancy for a morning meeting" Punk said to her

"We have to impress investors" AJ reminded him

"Agreed, just don't want to impress any of them with my wife" Punk said to her

"Look a man is more likely to negotiate with a woman than a man" AJ pointed out "I can handle the male investors and besides I've actually been preparing for this"

"You should make business deals by your proposal not by how you look" Punk said seriously

"Of course but looking good isn't going to hurt our chances either" She said with a smirk and he rolled his eyes "Don't worry Devon will be there"

"Wonderful a man who has zero problems sleeping with married women" Punk muttered

"I'll call you right after the meeting" AJ said leaning over and kissing him

"Keep your jacket on!" Punk yelled after her as she ran out of the room

* * *

AJ walked up to the doors of the club and saw Devon was already there waiting.

"Thank you for doing this with me" AJ said pulling out the keys and letting him in

"No problem" Devon said following her in "I respect your work ethic"

"I know you'd rather not being doing this with me-" AJ started

"The things about the prenuptial is nothing personal" Devon said to her "And it's not you I distrust its Punk. One day you're going to wake up and realize you're too good for him"

"I don't think I'll ever think that" AJ said to him

"I think you're a good person AJ and as many issues as I have with Punk I am happy to see him happy but I do feel you both jumped into this way too fast" Devon said to her honestly "I don't mean to hurt your feelings it's just how I feel"

"It'll take a lot more than that to hurt my feelings" AJ said to him and he smirked

"What a very Klein-like response" Devon smiled "And you don't have to thank me for being here I want to help"

"Great" AJ said to him

"Obviously don't mention the Nikki situation to him" He whispered and she nodded

"Is that still going on?" AJ asked

"Just twice a week" Devon said to her

"What is it with you Klein boys?" AJ asked

"I don't know" Devon said seriously "She did call me last night and told me you told her she couldn't wear dresses to work"

"Oh I completely forgot about that" AJ said slapping her head "I was drunk"

"Good for you" Devon said to her "Not about the being drunk but standing strong, if you're going to be in this business you're going to have to be firm with what you want"

"I just couldn't stand the fact that she was dressing like that in front of Phil" AJ admitted

"Trust me I've known Punk his whole life practically never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you" Devon said to her and she smiled to herself "You're going to have to work on your confidence too. You want to be arrogant and cocky in this world."

"I'm working on it" She sighed

"Well you're going to have to do it without needing a few drinks in you" Devon laughed "Don't worry I'll help"

"I appreciate that" AJ said to him.

"Hello?" A voice asked walking inside the large and still empty club

"John" Devon grinned waving him over and shook his hand "John this is AJ she's one of the two owners of the club"

"Not really what I was expecting" John smiled grabbing her hand and kissing the top of it. "I thought I was meeting with Mr. Brooks but I'm not complaining"

"This is _Mrs_. Brooks" Devon said to him coolly locking his eyes with him "Also my sister-in-law" he said giving him the silent _'back off'_ look.

"Family business" John smiled "Gotta love that. So you must know my wife" he said to AJ who nodded

"She's lovely" AJ forced out

"She's a handful" John chuckled

"So are you ready for the tour?" AJ asked him

"Yea I'll follow behind you" John said to her as AJ led him off.

* * *

Punk arrived at the new club after a few hours to check on AJ. She had told him the meeting went great and John officially signed on for the project but she wanted to stay back and work on a few things.

"I thought I told you to take the day off" AJ smiled as Punk walked into the club. AJ and Devon had paperwork all over the bar.

"I missed you" he defended lightly with a shrug and gave her a kiss hello

"Your wife really knows how to pitch" Devon said proudly "Knocked John's socks right off his feet"

"I never had any doubt" Punk said proudly "So what's all of this?"

"Just some ideas for renovations" AJ said to him

"I can see why you married her, she's turned down every single one of my ideas" Devon said to him

"That's exactly why I married her" Punk mocked

"Nothing is full proof I wasn't going to ok anything with you" AJ promised

"Do what you want" Punk said to her "I trust you, it's him I don't trust" he said nodding towards Devon

"How about _'thank you Devon for keeping Mr. Cena's pants on_?" Devon asked

"Excuse me?" Punk asked looking at him then at AJ

"Devon thinks John was being flirtatious" AJ said dismissively

"I mean it worked" Devon laughed "But he totally wants to fuck your wife"

"Charming" Punk forced out "Told you to not wear the dress"

"That's not true" AJ said to him "Tell him" she said to Devon

"He had a hard on" Devon said to Punk and AJ rolled her eyes

"He did not!" AJ defended

"Yes he did I fucking saw it" Devon said seriously

"Well good thing with investors like John we don't have to deal with them too much" Punk said to her

"We're having dinner with him and his wife tomorrow night" AJ said to him and he frowned

"What?" Punk asked annoyed

"He wants to meet you" AJ shrugged

"I don't do business dinners" Punk said to her

"I think that's what Mr. Cena is banking on" Devon mumbled under his breath

"But I'll be there" Punk added

"By the way I heard Seth was in the hospital" Devon said looking over to Punk

"No kidding" Punk said slowly

"Yea got the shit beat out of him last night" Devon said then laughed "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy"

"Where?" AJ asked Devon

"Seth said it happened outside his club a few guys tried to mug him or something" Devon shrugged

"That's a shame" Punk mocked lightly "So what about dinner tonight?" he asked his wife

"Oh do you two want to have dinner with Nikki and I tonight?" Devon offered

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Punk asked "Stop fucking seeing her!"

"Maybe we should stop by the hospital" AJ suggested to him

"Why?" Punk asked her

"To see Seth" AJ said to him

"I don't really care to see how he's feeling" Punk smirked

"Paul said that-" AJ started

"I'm stopping you right there" Punk said cutting her off "Anything that comes out of Paul Heyman's mouth is a lie"

"I have to agree with that" Devon said to her

"Randy told me he didn't kill Celeste. I'm starting to think Seth knows more than he's letting on and Paul said he's willing to talk to me" AJ argued

"Of course Randy said he didn't Celeste" Punk scoffed "And Seth wants to meet with you to piss me off which it will do- greatly" he warned her "No" he said firmly

"He's not going to tell you anything more than he told already told the police" Devon agreed "He's famous for mind games"

"Fine" AJ mumbled. Devon smirked at AJ's almost childish response and shot put a smile

"Shut up" Punk said and AJ shot her head towards Punk "Not you" he said to his wife quickly and Devon began to laugh hysterically

* * *

Punk had left after checking in giving AJ full power to make and decisions she wanted made and Devon left a few hours later promising to drop things off with the legal team. Roman was outside and she felt terribly leaving him out there but he insisted it was part of his job. She decided at almost nine it was time to go home and spend the evening with her husband.

"AJ" a voice called out from across the empty club, she looked over and saw Randy Orton in the flesh.

"Don't come any closer" she warned jumping out of her seat

"Don't freak out I'm going to stand here and stay here" Randy promised "And I know your guard is outside, I just need to ask you something" AJ remained quiet and eyed him "What happened?"

"Why don't you tell me?" AJ asked "You were the last person with Celeste"

"No" He said shaking his head

"Yes Randy" AJ insisted "You killed her"

"I couldn't" Randy said to her "I loved her"

"She was beaten to death Randy" AJ seethed "You were mad at her-"

"I was" Randy agreed "We got into a huge fight and it did get physical" he admitted "But when I left that house she was fine" he promised holding back tears

"You should talk to the police" AJ said to him "Running makes you look guiltier"

"And say what?" Randy asked "Me and my girlfriend got into a physical fight, I left, she was fine and then a few hours later she's dead?" he scoffed

"Neighbors saw you" AJ told him "Where you that mad that you had to kill her?"

"I swear to god I didn't kill her" Randy cried

"Then go to the police and clear your name" AJ said to him

"I can't" Randy said to her

"Who were you with that night? You weren't alone" AJ asked

"It's not important" Randy said to her "What is important is that someone killed Celeste and I want to know who"

"The police feel it's you" AJ bit back

"I didn't" He said sadly "And I won't turn myself in because once I do they stop looking for her real killer"

"Who else would have done it?" AJ asked him "I can't think of a single other person who would want to hurt her" she reached for her cell phone and looked over to him "I'm calling the police now"

"Help me" Randy pleaded

"I don't want to help you at all unless it's to help send you to prison" AJ said to him coldly

"You're going to realize it wasn't me" he said then ran out the back way.

AJ was just as confused as ever now. Randy didn't seem like a brutal killer more like a man grieving over his girlfriend. She did call Steve Austin who sent officers to the club and arrived himself soon enough. AJ's second call was to Punk who drove straight over to the club and made it there before the police.

"Did he threaten you?" Steve asked AJ as he sat with her and Punk

"No" AJ said to him "He seemed calm" she noted "And sad"

"Why does he keep approaching AJ?" Punk asked Steve "The first time AJ accidentally bumped into him but this time he willingly sought her out"

"He could blame AJ for the entire fight" Steve told him

"But he hasn't hurt me" AJ pointed out

"Tell that to your arms" Punk said to her

"I think he was drunk" AJ said to him "He seemed different tonight. He said when he left her she was fine. They did have a fight but she was alive"

"Can you think of anyone who has an axe to grind with your roommate?" Steve asked her "When I first you asked you could only think of Randy but maybe we can dig a little deeper" Steve suggested

"What about someone who has a problem with Randy?" Punk suggested

"I'd need to speak to Randy for that" Austin said bitterly "How long were you living away from Celeste?" he asked AJ

"Not long just a night" AJ shrugged "Why?"

"Maybe someone went there looking for you" Steve suggested and Punk narrowed his face at the Detective "Is there anyone you can think of that might have some issues with you?"

"Me?" AJ asked stunned "No I don't think anyone would want to kill me"

"AJ" Punk said looking over to her

"What?" she questioned

"Maybe you should tell him about your father and brother" Punk suggested

"No way" AJ said shaking her head "They wouldn't-"

"Let me be the judge of that sweetheart" Steve said to her "I need names"

"Alberto Del Rio and his kid Primo" Punk said to him "They tried to extort money from AJ they also have a history of violence"

"With AJ?" Steve asked arching a brow

"I don't really know them I only just met them a few months ago" AJ said to him

"And where they violent?" Steve asked her

"Primo wasn't but Alberto hit me" AJ said to him

"He carries too" Punk told Steve who nodded and jotted it all down in his notepad

"I'll check into them too" Steve said to them "But I really need to get to Randy"

"Just stay close to AJ" Punk muttered annoyed

"Well maybe we can try to have her reach out to him and meet him somewhere-" Steve started

"No" Punk told the older Detective "I'm disturbed enough he has gotten to her twice as it is"

"I can't move this investigation along without Randy" Steve said to him "Guilty or not I still need to talk to him"

"Find him then" Punk said to him "You're not baiting him with my wife"

"Phil" AJ whispered

"No" Punk said firmly

"Fine" Steve sighed "By the way I tried to speak to Seth Rollins again heard he was banged up in the hospital"

"Yea I heard something about that" Punk said to him "Sad"

"Went to visit him in the hospital, said you put a knife to his throat and had your buddies kick the crap out of him" Steve said and AJ looked over to her husband surprised "Want to tell me about it?"

"Are you charging me with something?" Punk asked him and Steve chuckled

"No" Steve said amused "It all can connect to Celeste and I can't be left in the dark"

"He came by after my club was last night, my wife was sleeping on the couch in the VIP lounge and my security didn't like the way he was looking at her" Punk told most of the truth

"That happened?" AJ asked him with a whisper

"I'm not going to be in the force forever" Steve reminded him "I can't constantly bail you out"

"I get it" Punk said to him

"I'll be in touch AJ" he said standing up "Punk" he said shaking his hand

"Why didn't you tell me about Seth?" AJ asked him

"Because it wasn't a big deal and I took care of it" Punk said to her

"I was so out of it last night I didn't even realize he was there" she admitted

"Yea I noticed" Punk mumbled "Also by the way- the reason I'm not a fan of heavy drinking"

"It was just one night" AJ said to him "It won't happen again"

"You can live your life" Punk said to her "I want you to have fun even it that means for some unknown reason involves a few drinks you just have to be super careful because you can't trust everyone around you. Luckily Roman was up there"

"Sorry" She frowned

"It's fine" he said cupping her face in one of his hands "I was there, I took care of it"

"You always do" she said with a soft smile and gave him a kiss.

"By the way" Punk said reaching into his pocket "I picked up our rings today"

"Really?" AJ smiled and he nodded pushing the box over to her. She opened it up and saw a thin white gold band covered in diamonds. "Oh my god" she said as her eyes widened with surprised.

"You like it?" He asked taking it out of the box for her

"It's amazing" she said as she watched him hold it between his fingers "Does yours look like that?"

"You didn't even notice I had it on" Punk said showing her his hand. He had thicker band that was white gold and no diamonds obviously.

"Can I wear it now?" AJ asked anxiously

"As long as you promise me you'll never take it off" Punk said seriously

"Never" She whispered and he took her left hand and slipped the band on her.

"Perfect" he smiled "Does it fit ok?"

"Yes" AJ said in awe looking at it "It's absolutely stunning"

"Just like you" he replied smoothly "I would like to add another to ring to this finger as well"

"We really weren't engaged" AJ reminded him "And you didn't ask me"

"Way to make me feel macho" Punk teased

"I think you like I when I boss you around" AJ said to him

"I do" Punk said to her "It makes me really horny"

"Everything makes you horny" AJ laughed

"Not true" Punk said to her "But everything you do makes me hard. When you walk, when you talk, when you boss me around, when you take control" he rambled off

"Let's go home so I can tie you to the bed and boss you around" AJ teased standing up

"Are you serious?" Punk asked as his mouth dropped open slightly "Babe?" he asked darting out of his seat knocking the chair over and not even caring "Do you mean that?" he asked chasing after her


	26. Defending Your Honor

**Defending Your Honor**

* * *

The next night AJ and Punk just arrived at John Cena's own restaurant for a business dinner. The place was of the highest quality.

"Why do I have to wear a tie?" Punk asked agitated as he played with the pinkish tie AJ picked out, along with the suit.

"Stop" she said slapping away his hands and fixing his tie herself.

"This is so stupid" he said annoyed as he let AJ adjust him.

"How have you been this successful in business without proper business meetings" she muttered smoothing over his tie and suit "You look very handsome by the way" she said to him

"Thanks. Wish I could take all of the credit but you dressed me" Punk snorted

"Can't take credit for that face" she teased squeezing his cheek

"Let's blow this off" Pun whispered to her "We'll take these stupid clothes off make love by the fireplace and order takeout" he told her

"Tempting" she smirked "But they've already seen us" She said looking to her right and waving towards the eager couple.

AJ and Punk walked hand in hand over to the table.

"Mr. Brooks it's nice to meet you finally" John said shaking his hand.

"Call me Punk" he said coolly then held out AJ's chair for her and pushed it in once she took a seat.

"Nicole tells me what a wonderful boss you are" John said to him "You too AJ"

"Thanks" AJ said nervously

"Seriously it's so much fun" Nikki smiled

"And it doesn't bother me at all that you've had a past with Nicole" he said to Punk who froze and AJ looked over to him "We have an open marriage like that" he said placing his hand over Nikki's.

"Oh that's nice" AJ forced out with a smile

"John thinks it's unrealistic for married couples to stay faithful" Nikki said to them and now both Punk and AJ were uncomfortable.

"I don't think that's true" AJ said to her "I think it's very possible"

"We just would rather be honest to each other we have no secrets" John said to her "I saw how nervous you were when we met with Devon" he laughed "Nikki has told me all about it"

"Wow" Punk mouthed to AJ who hid her smile

"I just didn't want you two to think your past with my wife or her current relationship with your brother would have an effect on our business dealings" John said to him

"Good to know" Punk muttered taking his glass of water and sipping on it.

"So I was excited to go over all of the new ideas your wife had for the new club" John told him

"So I've heard" Punk responded with a grin and he felt AJ pinch his thigh

"I really liked all of her ideas" John said smiling towards her "But I have some ideas as well" he said passing the file over to Punk "You don't have to look over it now"

"I'm letting my wife take lead on this" Punk said to him and AJ was so happy to hear him say that and watched as he slid the file over to her. "Any ideas you have go thru her first"

"Really?" John asked surprised "No offense but your wife doesn't have the business background you do" he said with a laugh but Punk didn't seem amused. "I'm sure when it comes to decorating she'd be wonderful" he said and AJ was greatly insulted by that comment but clearly so was Punk.

"My wife is part owner of the club and I trust her instincts in every aspect of this new venture" Punk said to him

"Look" John started with a sly grin "I appreciate your stance and clearly you're trying to prove some sort of point to your wife which is very nice but this is business"

"I'm aware" Punk said to him "I've been doing this for a long time now"

"So you can see why I'd rather run the bigger picture ideas past you?" John smirked but Punk didn't smile, he was actually turning red

"It's ok" AJ said to her husband

"No it's not" he said looking at her

"I think AJ would make a wonderful hostess just like Nicole" John said as Nikki smiled wide

"It's so much fun" she said to AJ

"My wife is more than a pretty face" Punk said to him

"I agree" John said to him "She has a wonderful personality as well and I think customers will appreciate that, especially the male ones"

"Can you please elaborate on that?" Punk asked stunned and annoyed. AJ shifted in her seat uncomfortably and knew there was no way this would end well.

"Your club is going to be catering to a mostly male audience-" John started

"That's not true" Punk said to him

"Grunge bands, it's going to be a rock show more so than a dance club- you're looking at mostly males and we need a full staff of women and could you imagine the kind of attention we'd get if you had AJ greeting people as she walked in?" John asked him

"Are you fucking for real?" Punk asked seriously "I'm not whoring my wife out"

"It's not whoring out" John defended quickly "It's smart business"

"I wouldn't be comfortable with that" AJ added in

"Well you seemed comfortable yesterday" John noted "You were wearing a tight little dress for a business meeting" he smiled "Don't get me wrong you looked wonderful but that's the kind of vibe I got from you" AJ's eyed widen

"Wow" Punk said with a laugh "I had no idea you were such a sexist piece of shit"

"I'm not sexist" John defended "I'm realistic"

"So my wife doesn't get a say in a business we're doing together because she wore a dress to a meeting? And I saw my wife before the meeting and thought she looked professional" Punk shot at John

"I didn't say she didn't look professional but this is a man's world" John told him

"It's fine" AJ said to John "Punk will look through your ideas and make any final decision"

"Yea" Punk said picking up the folder and ripping it in half "I've decided I don't like any of your ideas, should have let my wife look over it" he shot at him

"I didn't mean to offend you" John said to him

"You didn't offend me you insulted my wife and that's unacceptable" Punk told him coldly "And I don't feel comfortable doing business with a sexist business mogul. My wife and are partners in our marriage and in this business" he informed John

"Let's not make any rash decisions here" John chuckled

"Take your ideas and shove it" Punk said standing up "Come on AJ" he said looking down at her and smiled. She stood up and took Punk's hand proudly and walked out of the restaurant with him.

* * *

Punk had taken AJ to a different restaurant across town since he wanted her to have a nice night out and they were already dressed for the occasion so why not? The place he picked was packed but they were seated immediately.

"How do you just get a table anywhere you want?" AJ asked him

"It's a perk of being Klein" Punk shrugged

"You were right about the dress" AJ said to him

"No I wasn't" Punk said to her "You looked perfectly fine yesterday he's just a disgusting pig. You're a smart woman and no one should tell you otherwise. I believe in strong powerful women"

"You really are a dream man" AJ smiled

"Jennifer showed me that you can do business like a man and still be a wife and mother" Punk told her "I hate guys like Cena" he admitted "And who the fuck wants an open marriage?" he asked his wife

"You never thought of it?" AJ asked him

"Are you kidding?" he asked with a smirk "Do I really need to go over my control issues?"

"I mean to each it's own" AJ said to him "I guess it makes their marriage work" she shrugged

"It's not a marriage. You marry someone because the thought of them with someone else makes you sick to your stomach, because you know that no one can love them like you could. You don't just marry a pretty face and then sleep around" Punk ranted "And no, no open marriage" he scolded and she laughed

"I don't want an open marriage" she said giggling

"You seem interested" Punk said to her "There's no way out of this marriage" he warned but she just laughed again "No other men for you- just me" he said to her

"Good" She grinned

"I don't want this John thing to dampen your feelings about doing this" Punk warned "Not every man is like that but a lot will be"

"I want to prove you to you I can handle things like this" AJ said to him "If you weren't there and let me get a word out I would have defended myself"

"I know" Punk said to her "But when I'm there it's my job to defend you" he told her seriously

"I don't want to ruin potential business for you" AJ said to him "Devon is going to be pissed about losing John"

"First of all Devon is a lot of things but he wouldn't have agreed with what John said either" Punk informed her "And you won't ruin potential business. You've got much better people skills then I have obviously"

"I agree with that" AJ said and he squinted his eyes at her then smiled

"You're a smart woman who just happens to be beautiful, that's not your fault" Punk shrugged "The total package"

"Me?" she asked with a laugh

"Absolutely" He said to her

"Ok but you have to Devon we blew it with John" AJ said to him

"John blew it not us" Punk said seriously "I'll take care of it"

* * *

"You do realize John isn't just a potential club investor right?" Devon asked Punk who was sitting in Elliot's office the next day. "Dad runs several other business with him!"

"I don't want him involved with my club" Punk said simply "My club, my choice"

"What happened?" Elliot asked

"He was disrespectful to AJ" Punk said to him

"Nikki told me all about it" Devon said to him

"Why would Nikki tell you?" Elliot asked Devon

"Yea Devon?" Punk asked with a smirk, clearly Elliot wasn't aware of the affair Devon was carrying on

"The point is she said you ripped up all of his documents" Devon said to him "Are you crazy?"

"He refused to work with my wife" Punk told them

"Why? He seemed to really enjoy her at the club" Devon asked

"He would rather look at her then work with her" Punk shot at him "He wants her to be a hostess not an owner"

"I'll speak with him" Elliot said to him

"Speak to him until you're blue in the face doesn't mean I'm going to do business with him" Punk said to him

"He was wrong" Devon agreed "But you can't just burn bridges like this"

"Sure I can, it was easy" Punk shrugged "AJ has enough shit going on she doesn't need to be disrespected by some idiot"

"Speaking of that what is going on there?" Elliot asked concerned "How did Randy get into that club?" he asked looking at Devon now

"Someone left the backdoor open" Devon said to them then rolled his eyes "I left the backdoor open after we gave John the tour" he admitted "Sorry" he said to Punk who just shook his head annoyed.

"Austin thinks he's getting closer to finding him but he's not being helped by Rollins, Steve's been on him and his crew for a week now and nothing is out of order" Punk told them

"You need to be more diligent" Elliot said to Punk

"AJ doesn't think he's going to hurt her" Punk said to him

"I don't believe that" Elliot said to him "I'm also concerned about the next time he shows up and you happen to be there"

"He won't hurt me" Punk smirked arrogantly

"It's not you being hurt that frightens me" Elliot said seriously "I don't want to have to sit at your murder trial every day"

"I don't think you could take him" Devon remarked under his breath

"I would kill him" Punk said strongly "I'll kick your ass too" he threatened

"Enough" Elliot chimed in

"Anyway as for being more diligent I have upped security at the club" Punk told him "And Roman is attached to AJ's hip"

"I'm surprised you don't mind tall, dark and mysterious hanging around your wife" Devon remarked and Elliot rolled his eyes

"I don't think Roman swings that way but I'll ask if he's interested in you" Punk mocked

"Also Seth Rollins" Elliot said looking at Punk "Why? I thought we agreed to have zero dealings with him"

"What's he talking about?" Devon asked Punk

"Your brother put Seth in the hospital over the weekend" Elliot told him "Once he filed the complaint with Steve it cost me a lot of money to make it go away" he said to Punk

"You beat him up?" Devon asked with a laugh

"I didn't touch him" Punk defended innocently

"You didn't put a knife to his throat?" Elliot asked arching a brow

"Ok yea I did that" Punk admitted "But I didn't physically put my hands on him. And you would have to"

"What happened?" Elliot asked curiously

"He showed up at SXS after hours and AJ was passed out sleeping on the VIP couch, Roman caught him trying to put his hand up her dress" Punk told them feeling his chest tighten in rage just at the memory of it

"Your wife is a little trouble magnet isn't she?" Devon teased

"Don't blame this shit on her" Punk warned "Seth is a fucking pervert and John Cena has always been an ass"

"Agreed" Elliot said to him "I'll have a sit down with John"

"I don't want to work with him" Punk said seriously "I won't budge on that"

"I'm not going to let anyone disrespect AJ either" Elliot assured him "Just let me handle this John situation and you worry about everything else club related"

"What about me?" Devon asked

"You keep your dick your pants and stop sleeping with Nikki" Elliot replied coolly

* * *

Punk was in his office at the club while AJ was on the floor talking and learning from the other employees. Punk told her she didn't have to bother learning those things but she wanted to know everything and he admired that about her. He was actually wishing they could swap places because he was looking for a missing delivery and was being passed around on the phone. He was on hold for what felt like the tenth time when he saw AJ peek her head into his office. He waved her in and she smiled as she closed the door behind her.

"Busy?" she mouthed to him

"On hold" he said moving the phone away from his mouth "Having fun?"

"The bartender taught me how to make a bloody mary" she said proudly

"Wonderful" Punk mocked and watched as AJ walked over to the chair

"Important business?" AJ asked taking a seat on his lap

"Yea I'm missing eight cases of wine and thirteen cases of beer" Punk said annoyed "Yes I'm still here" he said into the phone "I've already told the story ten fucking times" he seethed into the phone.

Punk was so into his phone conversation he hadn't noticed that AJ slithered off of him and onto the floor under his desk. He was talking into the phone when he looked down because he felt AJ tugging at his jeans.

"No I'm still here" He said into the phone but kept his eyes on AJ. "Hold again?" he asked annoyed "Do I have a choice?" once safely on hold he spoke to his wife "What are you doing?" he asked as she unzipped her husband's pants and pulled him out of his jeans.

"Do you remember what you did to me a few weeks ago? When you were on a business call?" she asked

"Uh yea" he said unsurely and watched as she licked the palm of her hand then moved it over him and began to move her hand up and down over him causing him to hiss. "I'm all for this but I'm going to be on the phone with a very important person"

"More important than me?" she asked teasingly

"No one is more important than you" he said seriously he then heard a voice from the other end of the phone "Yea I'm here" he said into the phone "Yea I've got it right here" he said moving papers around his desk.

AJ took this opportunity to place her mouth over his hard shaft. He closed his eyes tightly as she her hot, wet tongue ran down over his throbbing veins.

"Jesus" he said into the phone "No…it's just my desk is a mess" he lied into the phone. Punk moved one of his hands over AJ's head to smooth out her hair and encourage her to keep going. "Yea ok…" he said biting on his lower lip as AJ sucked him as hard as she could. He moaned slightly into the phone and knew he wouldn't be able to hide this from the person he was talking to "Can I just…uh…hold on a sec" he said and hit the hold button. "AJ" he groaned out as he looked down at her and watched her slip one of her own hands under her dress pants. "Fuck" he moaned and that's when his door swung open.

"Hey, you have a second?" Dean asked casually. Thankfully AJ was tucked away under the desk and Dean had no idea what was really going on.

"No not really go" Punk said to him

"It's about the-" Dean started

"Jesus Christ Dean figure it out" Punk hissed as Dean intruding didn't bother AJ in the slightest as she continued to move him deep into her mouth. He covered his hands with his face waiting for Dean to leave.

"Are you alright man?" Dean asked concerned "You look really- red"

"Get out" Punk choked out

"Are you-" Dean started again

"Get out, get out, get out!" Punk yelled and that's when Dean heard something move under the table

"Dude" Dean said proudly "Sorry" he laughed then walked out of the office and closed the door behind him.

As soon as the door closed Punk exploded in his wife's small mouth almost violently and let out a loud groan.

"Holy shit" Punk moaned as AJ continued to suck on him until she licked and swallowed every last drop of him. Once she was content she let him go with a pop and he picked up the phone. "Sorry about that" he said into the phone "Yea that's exactly what I'm missing" he said into the phone as AJ crawled onto his body and straddled his body and began to kiss at his neck and her hands roamed all over his upper body.

Punk wrapped his free arm around her waist holding her close and dipped his hand underneath her pants to cup the delicate round flesh of her ass. She began to nibble on his earlobe while he rambled off into the phone. She nipped a little too hard on his ear and that earned her a hard pinch to her ass in return causing her to squeal slightly.

"Ok good" Punk said "Yea it's fine" he then hung up the phone and pulled back to look at AJ. "You're bad"

"I learned from the best" She smiled deviously

"I've created a monster" He teased as she leaned down and kissed his sweet lips. "I like it though" he grinned proudly


	27. Closure

**Closure**

* * *

AJ was home cleaning today, she spent the last two weeks working at the new club all day and SXS at night. She wanted to make up for all the time she had missed but Punk demanded she take the day off and just relax. But relaxing turned into a full cleaning day; she was actually enjoying doing the simpler things in life such as cleaning her home and preparing dinner before her husband got home. AJ walked over to the door when she heard someone knock and was surprised to her brother standing on the other side. She didn't open the door but leaned against it.

"AJ I know you're in there" Primo said to her

"Want me to get rid of him?" Roman asked walking into the living room. She had actually gotten used to having Roman these last few weeks.

"I want to know what he wants" she said to Roman

"I just want to talk" Primo said thru the door. "I know you're not alone in there and I promise I just want to talk"

"I don't think Punk would like this" Roman said as AJ began to turn the doorknob

"He doesn't like anything" AJ said to him "Besides you're here"

"Fine" Roman mumbled and AJ opened the door.

"It's just me" Primo said holding his hands up and smiled

"What are you doing here?" AJ asked not letting him in the house

"AB and I were questioned by the police a week ago" Primo said to her "The cop from Chicago that spoke to us said he thought someone was out to hurt you. Is that true?"

"I don't know" AJ admitted

"I don't know what happened but it perked mine and AB's interests. We're worried" Primo said to her

"You two don't know me and he certainly doesn't like me" AJ reminded him

"That's not true" Primo said to her "The man likes money but family- blood- it's the most important thing to him. He was planning on coming himself but he's afraid of bumping into your boyfriend again"

"He's my husband now actually" AJ informed him

"Wow" Primo said surprised "Good for you"

"I think you're the first legally married person in the family" He chuckled

"I'm not your family" AJ told him bluntly

"I just wanted to know if you needed our help with anything" Primo admitted

"And how much is that going to cost me?" AJ asked unimpressed

"Nothing" Primo said to her

"I'm fine" AJ said to him "I'm in good hands"

"Heard about your friend" Primo told her sadly "I only met her once but she seemed nice"

"She was the best" AJ barely whispered, thinking of Celeste was still painful to her.

"Did you really think that me or AB had something to do with that?" Primo asked her sadly

"I don't know what to believe. I had to think of anyone who seemed violent" AJ told him honestly

"Here" he said passing her a piece of paper. "My address and number if you ever want to talk" he said to her

"You drove all this way just for this?" AJ asked unbelievingly

"Had to start somewhere" Primo shrugged "What happened the last time was just AB acting out, he does that sometimes"

"He should never do that" AJ said to him

"At least you only had to deal with it once" Primo pointed out "Imagine growing up with him"

"I'm sorry" she said to him

"Don't be. He has flaws but he loves me, kept a roof over my head and kept food in my mouth" Primo said to him

"Must be nice" AJ said quietly

"I'm sure you grew up in a huge house with tons of people" Primo laughed "We didn't have it easy, we had to do what we had to do to stay alive"

"I grew up with strangers" AJ argued "There were times I didn't eat for days. Do you know what it's like to sleep outside in the yard, in a tent in ten degree weather?" she asked him "I never resorted into doing what you do to stay alive. I don't want anything to do with you or Alberto" she informed him "I don't trust either of you and it's not just me, I don't trust you two around my husband and he's my priority" she said passing him back the paper "Thanks for stopping by but don't do it again" she then closed the door and locked it. Roman walked over to the window and watched to make sure he got into his car and left.

"He's gone?" AJ asked

"Yea he's gone" Roman confirmed "Pretty cool thing you did there"

"As much as I want to know my family I can't risk Phil" AJ said to him "They want money, they can smell it"

"You're right" Roman agreed "If you think he didn't know you married Punk you're wrong." He said to her "People like him, like your father they smell money. Bullying you didn't work so now they're trying to kiss your ass"

"Yea even I saw that" She mumbled "What about you?" she asked him "You're always here, don't you have a family?"

"I did" Roman admitted "I have a daughter"

"How old is she?" AJ asked curiously and Roman pulled his phone out and showed her a picture

"She is going to be five in two weeks" Roman said proudly, it was the only time AJ had ever heard emotion in his voice.

"What's her name?" she asked

"Annabelle" Roman smiled lightly looking at the photo as well

"When do you even get a chance to see her? I'm sure Punk would give you the time off to spend time with her" AJ said to him

"Her mother and I are divorced and she doesn't want me around" Roman told her "I asked Punk when it first happened to keep me as busy as possible"

"That's sad" AJ said to him "You're a good man and your daughter should know you. Take it from someone who grew up without one" she said passing him back his phone.

* * *

Punk was in the new club and was actually overwhelmed. There was so many renovations going on and people asking him questions he didn't know what to say. AJ went over everything with him in great detail but he couldn't remember a thing.

"The color Mrs. Brooks picked out for the upper level has been discontinued" the painter told Punk

"Ok" Punk said to him "So can't we just make the color?"

"It doesn't work like that" the man said almost insulted "But I have two other options that are close but I know she's very particular can you get in touch with her?"

"No she's off the grid today" Punk said to him "I can handle it, show me the colors" the man passed him two samples and Punk looked confused "They look exactly the same"

"They're not the same" the man said annoyed again "Your wife picked the paint to match the furniture" he told him

"They're red" Punk said with a shrug "Can this wait until tomorrow?"

"Can't we just call her?" the man asked annoyed

"No" Punk said firmly "She's taking the day off and since there's no paint so can you"

"Fine by me!" The man shouted walking away.

"How does she deal with it?" Punk asked himself annoyed

"Hey Punk" a voice announced walking into the club. Punk frowned upon seeing John Cena, he had been calling Punk the last week and he had been ignoring all of those messages.

"We're not open yet" Punk said to him

"I'm here to apologize" John said to him "I spoke to Elliot and we sorted all of this out"

"I don't want you on this project" Punk informed him

"I get that" John said to him "But I am still working with Elliot on other ventures and we're bound to run into each other from time to time so I'd like to clear the air"

"Fine" Punk said to him "Consider the air cleared" he said to John

"The club is coming along great" John said looking around it.

"Yea my wife has put a lot work into it" Punk said to him

"But it's not her passion is it?" John asked

"You really want to do this again?" Punk asked in a warning voice

"Elliot told me she's a writer" John said to him "I have a friend who runs a publishing company, they're looking for writers"

"You don't know anything about AJ's writing" Punk pointed out

"Do you?" John shot back "She went to school for it I'm sure she's damn good at it. I'm willing to put in a good word for her that's all"

"Why?" Punk asked him unsurely

"Because I feel bad" John told her honestly

"If AJ wants to publish her stuff she knows I have connections" Punk informed him

"Not like I have" John pointed out smugly "Just let her know" he said to him

"Yea I'll make sure to tell her as soon as possible" Punk said in a sarcastic voice

"Good luck with the place" John said to him

"Luck is for losers" Punk shot at him and John couldn't help but laugh

* * *

When Punk arrived home only for dinner because he had to be SXS tonight he could smell the food from outside the door.

"She been cooking all day?" Punk asked Roman amused

"For a while" Roman smirked as he watched TV "For someone who was supposed to be relaxing she ran around all day here" he then stood up and turned off the TV.

"You'll be back in an hour right?" Punk asked

"Yea of course" Roman said to him then walked out the door.

"I thought I heard you" AJ smiled stepping into the living room. "I cooked all day"

"Good because I'm starving" he said walking over to her and giving her a kiss hello

"How did it go?" AJ asked

"Great" he lied "Easy"

"Good" AJ smiled "Did Roman tell you that Primo dropped by?"

"No" Punk said looking over to her as he took his seat at the head of the table

"He wanted to reach out because the police spoke to him and he heard about Celeste" AJ said to him

"How'd that go?" Punk asked

"I told him to leave and not come back" she said honestly

"Good" Punk said simply

"Oh and your mother came by earlier as well and the reception is all booked" she told him

"What reception?" Punk asked her before he took a bite out of his salad

"The wedding reception your parents told us they were throwing us" AJ said slowly but it still wasn't sinking in "Your dad said the day we told them we got married he wanted to throw us one"

"Oh ok" Punk said to her "Just let me know when"

"Saturday" she said to him

"There's a Blackhawks game Saturday" He reminded her but she shot him one of the scariest looks he had ever seen "But fuck that" he said with a nervous laugh "I'll be at my wedding reception"

"I think it will be nice" AJ smiled as she placed a dish of pasta in front of him

"So Roman said you were running around like crazy" Punk noted eating his food "I thought the idea of the day off was so you'd actually just relax"

"I did relax" AJ said to him "I even went to a yoga class for the first time"

"Really?" Punk asked

"You should come with me sometime" she said to him

"I'll pass" He smirked

"We'll see" she whispered under her breath

"Huh?" he asked looking up at her

"I said I didn't know Roman had a daughter" AJ lied with a smile

"Oh, Annabelle" Punk nodded "What about it?"

"I think you make him work too much" AJ said to him "He should spend time with her"

"He doesn't want to" Punk said to her

"He should" She argued "We both know how important a father is to a child"

"I can't force him" Punk said to her "He doesn't have a good relationship with his ex. She doesn't want him around. That's up to him to work out"

"Well how can he do that when he's on call for you 24/7?" AJ asked him

"He needs to be here with you" Punk said to her "That's what's most important"

"No it's not" she said to him

"I'm not debating this Roman thing with you again" Punk groaned "He's here and staying here until Randy is in jail" he took another bite of his food and nodded fondly "This is so good"

"Glad you like it" AJ said to him

"Aren't you going to eat with me?" Punk asked her

"No I just bought a beautiful dress I'd like to fit into over the weekend" AJ said to him

"You're perfect" Punk said to her "Eat" he demanded

"Fine" She said picking at her salad but he wasn't happy with that either.

"Do you still write?" Punk asked out of nowhere

"Sometimes" She said to him "Why do you ask?"

"I know you love it and I never seeing you doing it" Punk admitted

"I've been jotting things down" AJ shrugged

"You write fiction right?" Punk asked eating his food

"Sometimes" She said to him "But lately I've been working on my journal"

"You have a journal?" Punk asked surprised

"It's kind of like an electronic journal" AJ said to him "I have tons of real journals I wrote in when I was in foster care"

"You ever think about publishing it?" Punk asked

"My childhood wasn't pretty" AJ informed him "Who would want to read about that?"

"Me for starters" Punk said to her

"You can read them" AJ said to him "They're in boxes in the garage, I have nothing to hide" he just nodded casually and looked over to her

"That's not eating" he scolded "That's pushing your food around your plate"

"I already told you I'm not hungry" AJ said folding her arms

"No you said you were trying to fit into your dress that I'm sure you'll fit into it" Punk said to her. He then stood up with his fork that had a piece of meatball on it and walked over to her

"No" she warned trying not to laugh

"Eat it" he said standing over her. He tried to place it in her mouth but she kept it shut and moved her face

"You got sauce on my-" she started but he used the opportunity to put the food in her mouth "There is something wrong with you" She laughed grabbing a napkin

"Now for pasta" he said with a grin

"No way!" she laughed running out of the kitchen.

Punk ran right after her and grabbed her from behind and swung her around causing her to laugh. He dropped her onto the couch and pinned her there.

"Am I going to have to bring the food out here?" he asked amused

"No I'll eat" she laughed she leaned up to kiss him but he pulled away

"Eat first, play later" he said to her

"I want to play now" she said in a sultry voice running her hands under his t-shirt

"After you eat" he warned.

"Are you really turning me down?" she asked stunned

"Yes" he said trying to sound strong then got off of her. "I'll see you in the kitchen"

Punk was again at the table eating and reading through the mail when he heard her chair and looked up.

"Did you see this letter-" he stopped when he saw his wife eating away at her pasta dish.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" she asked innocently

"Where did your shirt go?" he asked trying not to stare directly at her breasts that were only covered by her black bra.

"You got sauce on it" she said to him "I left it with my jeans in the living room"

"You took your pants off" he said slowly and tilted in his chair and peeked under the table to see she was wearing just her panties. "Why are you so evil?" he asked seriously

"Do you not have self control?" she asked back seriously

"You're eating naked in front of me" Punk said to her "It's cruel"

"You told me to eat first" AJ said to him "I'll actually probably feel too full to do anything after I eat" she admitted. He watched as she placed her mouth slowly over the fork and sucked up the spaghetti on it. "Now why aren't you eating?" she asked tilting her head in annoyance at him

"I've lost my appetite" he said putting his fork down and watched as she ate.

Punk was a good husband he made sure AJ ate her entire dish as much as it drove him crazy. He was already hard just watching her and she was enjoying the reaction she was having on him. Purposely leaning over the table so her breasts were practically popping out of her bra and would flash her leg occasionally.

"All finished" she said taking one last bite and Punk was already out of his chair. "Shit" she muttered seeing she got sauce on her chest, she hadn't even realized Punk was out of his seat until he lifted her out of hers. He picked her up by her ass so she could wrap her perfect legs around his waist and pressed against the cool wall of the kitchen.

"I still have sauce on-" she started but Punk slowly licked over her breasts, removing the sauce in the process.

"I can eat like this every night" Punk admitted as he let AJ lean against the wall so he could remove his t-shirt.

"You have to get to work" AJ reminded him as he continued to lick and suck over her breasts. Her fingers clawed through his hair encouraging him to keep going.

"I won't be long" he said to her and she let out a laugh.

AJ dropped her legs to the floor so she could remove his belt and pants while he reached behind for her bra clasp but grew too anxious and literally snapped it.

"I liked this bra" AJ pouted

"I'll buy you another one" He said as he quickly pulled down her panties. Punk was barely free of his own jeans when AJ felt him turn her around so she was facing the wall and entered from behind.

"Oh god" she moaned as her palms were flat against the wall and his chest was pressed against her back.

Punk wanted to be more tender and leave kisses around her shoulders or any spot he could reach but what he really wanted to do was push into her as hard as he possibly could which he did. His hands were at her hips as her cheek was pressed to the wall now.

"Are you ok?" he managed to ask

"Yes" she moaned "Oh!" she cried out as he continued to ram into her body. Punk's hand moved up her body and stretched around to her front so he was cupping her breasts tightly as he continued to take her against his kitchen wall.

Punk wasn't lying when he said it wouldn't take long AJ lost herself with him buried inside of her and he followed a few seconds later.

"We should have dinner at home every night" Punk said as he pulled out of her. The intensity of him being so powerful and feeling so great AJ almost stumbled right to the floor but he caught her. "Are you ok?" he asked her

"Yes I'm really ok" she smiled

"You look pale" He frowned cupping her face with his hands "What did you eat today?"

"I just ate" AJ defended

"What did you eat earlier in the day?" Punk clarified and she could hear the anger in his voice.

"What I just ate" she whispered almost ashamed and he shook his head

"You're working nonstop and now you're not eating?" Punk asked angrily as he pulled up his jeans but before zipping and buttoning them he reached down for his t-shirt and helped AJ into it. "You're going to make yourself very sick" he scolded "I'll arrange it so we eat every meal together and I will sit there and watch you" he threatened

"I was just busy" she defended

"Your health is priority over anything else" Punk said shaking his head "And I can still hear your stomach growling" he said helping her into the living room and sat her on the couch.

"It's really not a big deal" she said as Punk covered her with a blanket now "Seriously I do this when I diet"

"That's not dieting" He said harshly "That's starving yourself and it's not acceptable"

"What is wrong with you?" she asked as he walked into the kitchen, she heard him moving around and then came back out with a bag of chips and handed them to her. "I don't want this" she said to him but he shot her a look that actually sent chills up her spine so she took the bag and put a chip in her mouth.

"Mia had this problem when she was a teen" Punk admitted to her "It was horrible"

"I don't have an eating disorder" she assured him "I diet for like two days and this is how I do it. It only happens like once a year don't worry" she teased

"Mia used to say that shit all of the time" Punk told her

"I swear to you I'm ok" she promised "I won't do it again" she promised

"I'd love you no matter how you looked" Punk said to her almost fearfully and AJ could feel her heart melt, he truly did love her more than anything. "And you seriously look great I mean I don't know anyone who has abs like you do"

"I get it" She said to him reaching over and grabbing his hand "Won't happen again, I swear"

"It just scares me" Punk said to her "I need you happy and healthy that's all that matters to me" he told her truthfully and she smiled at him

"It really is all that matters to you, isn't it?" she asked

"Yea" he said to her and watched as she ate another chip and felt himself start to feel better. "Want me to stay with you tonight?"

"No" she laughed "I skipped eating I wasn't diagnosed with cancer, go to work" she insisted. "But you're going to have brush your hair" she teased trying to smooth it out "I messed it up. Also you have to wear something else I'm comfy in this" she said to tugging at the shirt he put on her.

"Keep it" He said to her with a smile "Looks better on you anyway"

"I only like things that smell like you" she said picking the shirt up slightly and burying her nose in it.

Before Punk could say anything else the door swung open and Roman charged in.

"Something wrong?" Punk asked standing up

"Sorry was interrupting?" he asked noting Punk had no shirt on and his jeans were still unzipped and unbuttoned.

"No we're good" Punk said zipping his jeans "What's up?"

"Steve called, Orton turned himself in" Roman told them

"We should get down to the station" AJ said anxiously

"There's nothing we can do there right now" Punk said to her "Steve is going to be questioning all night probably. I'll call him tomorrow and see what he knows"

"I really want to know what's happening" AJ said to him

"And I'll find out" he promised "But seriously let the police do their thing tonight and I'll talk to Steve first thing tomorrow ok?"

"Ok" she whispered

"Hey this is a good thing" Punk reminded her kneeling down so they were eye to eye

"I know" she said to him "Hey I guess you get the night off" she said looking over to Roman

"No" Punk said to her and she frowned "Make sure she eats" he said to Roman "She almost fainted before"

"No problem" Roman said taking off his jacket.

* * *

Punk left for work but didn't stay away for long; he left Dean in charge for the night and decided to head back home to be with his wife. He was sure she needed him now knowing Randy had finally been arrested. When he walked back inside Roman was sitting up playing on his phone.

"Wasn't expecting you this soon" Roman noted

"Yea I didn't want to stay away" Punk said taking his jacket off "Where is she?"

"She's sleeping" Roman told him "She ate the entire bag of chips- she wanted me to tell you that"

"Good" Punk said to him "How did she seem?"

"She seemed relieved" Roman told him honestly

"She deserves a little peace. She won't be able to really accept that Celeste is gone until her killer is locked up behind bars" Punk said to him

"I agree" Roman said standing up "Need anything else?"

"No" Punk said but before Roman could walk out the door Punk stopped him "Take the rest of the week off"

"That's ok" Roman said to him

"Paid vacation" Punk told him "It's not negotiable. Go see your daughter"

"Your wife likes to talk" Roman teased

"Yea she does" Punk smirked "I always thought I'd be with a woman who was seen and not heard"

"You went in the complete opposite direction with AJ" Roman laughed and Punk couldn't help but agree.

"It's just one of the many reasons I lover her" Punk smirked "Oh and before I forget Elliot and my mom are throwing us a wedding reception Saturday I want you there"

"Are you sure?" Roman asked

"You've been guarding my wife for weeks now, I want you there" Punk said seriously.

"I'll be there" Roman said "See you Saturday" then left the home.

Punk checked on AJ upstairs and sure enough she was passed out cold wearing his t-shirt. He was too wired to sleep and headed into the garage and looked went through some of AJ's boxes and found a bunch of the journals she was talking about. He was so in love, so obsessed with her that he wanted to know everything there was to know about her. He grabbed a couple of journals and went into the living room with them. He sat in his favorite chair and turned on the light nearest to him and opened the first book.

"Even her hand writing is beautiful" Punk said with a smile and began to read more about the life of his wife…..

* * *

**A/N: Before I get a bunch of comments, NO AJ is not pregnant. Also thanks for reveiwing and who do you all think killed Celeste?**


	28. Lies

**Lies**

* * *

AJ walked down the stairs when she noticed Punk had never joined her bed and found him sleeping in his chair with one of her journals resting against his chest. She grabbed the journal carefully off of his chest and checked to see what exactly he was reading. AJ rolled her eyes slightly- of course he'd be reading about her time with Jeff. This entire journal was written when she was seventeen and was totally obsessed with him.

"Hey" Punk said slowly opening his eyes and stretching

"You never came to bed" she frowned taking a seat on the arm of his chair

"I couldn't sleep at first" Punk admitted

"Then you read some of my stuff and went out like a light?" she teased

"No" he said opening his eyes fully now "You're writing is absolutely incredible I read about four of your journals last night"

"Really?" she asked surprised

"Yea" He said to her "They weren't in order or dated on the outside so I've been all over the place. The Jeff stuff actually bored me to tears" he smirked then looked over to her "I had no idea how rough you really had it"

"You didn't have it easy either" AJ reminded him "I've heard stories about your birth parents"

"That I only had to deal with for six years and I barely remember any of it" Punk reminded her "You had to deal with some horrible foster parents" he cringed lightly "You had to sleep on a bathroom floor for six months?"

"At least I was indoors" she reasoned "But they weren't all bad"

"Yea I read some good parts too" Punk said to her "I just don't understand why some people would agree to foster a child if they didn't want one"

"Tax breaks, money from the state" she told him

"I hate you ever went through life like that" He said to her "And the fact that you didn't let any of that break you just goes to show how remarkable you truly are"

"Trust me I had it a lot easier then other kids" AJ said to him

"Your stuff is so good AJ" Punk said to her honestly "You should see about getting your journal published. I mean the stories are honest, heartfelt and you really write beautifully" she just opened another journal laying there and skimmed the pages "John Cena has some connections" she looked up at the mention of his name "Elliot told him you write and to make things right with you he wanted to set you up with a potential publisher"

"I don't know" AJ said shaking her head

"It's a step in the door" Punk told her "You can really make a name for yourself with these and after that you can write anything you want. I mean not only are these so honest but it's actually inspiring" he told her honestly "If I wasn't so sick of reading 'Jeff looked so great today' in this last journal I totally would have stayed awake and read more"

"I just don't know if I want my life put on display like that" AJ admitted

"Just think about it" Punk suggested "Until then you don't mind if I keep reading them right?"

"No of course not" she said to him "I'd skip the journal I had with when I was with Daniel though"

"Read that one first" Punk said almost bitterly

"I'm not proud of a lot I've done" AJ said to him "I mean I wasn't perfect either I made a lot of mistakes"

"No one is. Which is why you're so relatable" Punk said to her "And I happen to think you are perfect by the way"

"You're very sweet" AJ said giving him a kiss. "Have you heard from Steve at all?"

"Not yet, I left him three messages though and he texted me and told me he'd call me" Punk informed her.

"Can we go down there?" she asked anxiously "I don't think I could wait another minute"

"How about you go upstairs, get dressed and I'll take you for a big breakfast and then we'll drive over?" Punk suggested

"Sounds good" AJ agreed she then gave him a kiss "And next time bring your ass to bed, I'm not used to not having you by my side"

"Deal" he smirked and watched as she skipped up the stairs. Punk picked up the journal and began reading where he left off, he was so into her stories he couldn't put them down.

_Today Jeff came to the school and snuck me &amp; Celeste out. He took us to the carnival and it was amazing! He won Celeste a bunch of stuffed animals and went on all of the rides with me. I could have sworn he tried to hold my hand on the tilt-a-whirl. But he still sees me as a little girl, he treats Celeste like an adult, sometimes I feel like I'm their foster child. His girlfriend gets so mad every time we're all together but he reminds her that there's three of us and nothing could possibly going on. Maybe if it was just Jeff &amp; I something more could be going on. He is so sweet, handsome and kind- no wonder he doesn't pay attention to me. I'm a nerdy little girl whose only relationship had been with her own foster bother. Speaking of Daniel he called me two nights ago but he couldn't stay on the phone long. He was just checking in and seeing how my new foster family was treating me. I really miss him sometimes and not just because of the physical relationship we had but because sometimes he was the only person I could talk to. I also didn't have try as hard to get Daniel's attention as I do to get Jeff's. Daniel also told me he got engaged I am happy for him even though it's killing me on the inside. He said her name is Briana and they're studying the same thing in college. I wished him luck and told him it would be best if he never called again, it hurt too much. I wish I could be like Daniel and find something with someone and as much as I want that to be Jeff but I deserve someone who wants my attention. Or do I?_

"I'm ready" AJ announced and Punk looked up and closed the journal

"Good I'm starving" Punk smirked standing up.

* * *

Once they arrived at the police station Steve Austin walked out and greeted the both of them.

"So did he confess or what?" Punk asked him

"No" Steve said to him "I did get a statement from him from that night though"

"What did he say?" AJ asked

"They got into a fight" Steve told her "He left she was alive, the next day he saw the news about Celeste and freaked out- went on a drinking binge. He doesn't remember hurting you the night at your old apartment either"

"And we believe that?" Punk asked disbelievingly

"He gave a DNA sample" Steve told Punk "Guilty men don't walk into a police station and hand over their DNA if they're innocent"

"Innocent men don't run either" Punk argued

"Can we see him?" AJ asked him

"I don't think that's a good idea" Steve said to her "But I have an officer wanting to talk to you again about your last two run-ins with Randy"

"Ok" AJ said to him "I won't be long" she said to Punk who just nodded and watched her walk off with a uniformed officer

"He wants to see you" Steve told Punk

"Just me?" Punk asked "Does he have a death wish?"

"He doesn't seem like a man who killed his girlfriend, he's looking for answers" Steve told him "He wants to speak to you about that. Wouldn't just talk to me"

"Fine" Punk said to him

Punk and Steve walked into an interrogation room where Randy was cuffed to the desk.

"Thanks for coming" Randy said to Punk "I didn't mean to scare AJ at the apartment-"

"Did you mean to bruise her?" Punk asked "Because you sure as hell did that"

"No" Randy admitted "I don't remember doing that"

"Convenient" Punk smirked sarcastically "What about that dick picture you sent to her? Did you mean to do that?"

"AJ was leading me on" Randy argued "I thought she wanted that"

"She didn't pay attention to you for years and all of the sudden she was interested? Didn't see anything odd about that?" Punk mocked

"Yea but honestly I didn't care" Randy smiled lightly "Dude a hot girl says she wants to fuck you the last thing you're thinking about it is hidden motives you just hit and quit it"

"Careful" Punk warned "That's my wife you're talking about"

"You two got married?" Randy asked surprised

"I'm not here to talk about AJ" Punk shot at him "I'm here to find out why you killed Celeste"

"We got into an argument about AJ yes" Randy told him and Steve "But she wasn't so innocent either. She was seeing somebody else that's when our argument escalated"

"Really?" Punk chuckled "I doubt that"

"It's true, she didn't deny it" Randy said to him "I was pissed that she was so angry at me for doing exactly the same thing she was. At first I thought it was you" he admitted to Punk "Which is why I was always trying to get under your skin, which is also why I tried so hard to get with AJ" he said to him

"You thought I was sleeping with AJ's roommate?" Punk asked with a laugh "You're really grasping for straws"

"I knew it was someone AJ knew" Randy defended "I also knew it was someone Celeste didn't want AJ to know about. Because when I told Celeste I was going to tell AJ about her affair with you she freaked out and said it wasn't you but AJ wasn't to know. I'm still not convinced it wasn't you either"

"Not that I owe you anything but I have been a hundred percent faithful to AJ" Punk said to him honestly

"Look into her brother" Randy said to him

"Primo?" Punk asked

"I know he left his number with Celeste when he was looking for AJ, she even invited him into the house while I was there" Randy said annoyed "He was undressing Celeste with his eyes"

"You think Primo killed Celeste?" Steve asked

"I called some friends to pick me up after Celeste locked herself in her bedroom" Randy told them "They left with me"

"Who are your friends? Seth?" Punk asked

"Seth wasn't there" Randy said to him

"We need you to talk to AJ" Steve said to Punk

"About what? You want me to tarnish her dead friends name?" Punk asked "No way"

"I know Primo was in Chicago yesterday to see his sister" Steve said to him

"So?" Punk asked "You think he's going to tell her if he killed her friend?"

"No but AJ could find out if Celeste was seeing him" Steve argued

"You think I'm going to let my wife sit down with two people I already know are dangerous but are possibly killers to do your job, you're insane" he said to Austin "And why are you taking his word for it?" he asked Steve "Orton is a liar"

"Not only did he willingly give a DNA sample but phone records show he was trying to call Celeste since the time he said left, texts- everything" Steve said to him

"So what?" Punk mocked "I don't believe anything out of his mouth"

"I didn't kill Celeste" he said firmly "I loved her"

"Loved her so much that you wanted to fuck my wife?" Punk asked disgusted

"I thought it was you" Randy hissed

"And so what if I was?" Punk asked him "That makes it ok for you to chase after AJ?"

"We need to work together on this" Steve told them both "I know you want this resolved for AJ's sake" he said to Punk

"I'll talk to her brother" Punk said to them "But that's it" he said to the two of them "That's as far as I'll go to help clear this assholes name" Punk said to them

"Ask AJ" Randy insisted

"AJ would have told me if she thought Celeste was seeing someone else" Punk said to him "I'm not going to dig around and hurt AJ because you're trying to clear your name. I'm not going to accuse a woman who isn't alive to defend herself of anything"

* * *

Friday rolled around and AJ and Punk were getting ready to go to SXS.

"I don't understand why you called Roman back to work" AJ said to him "Randy has been arrested and as soon as the DNA gets back he's going on trial."

"Yea I know" Punk said to her "I just have a business meeting tonight out of town with Devon and a few of Elliot's people so I want someone with you at the club"

"You didn't mention that" AJ frowned

"It was last minute" Punk said to her "You'll be fine there tonight and if you have any questions Dean will be there"

"How far are you going? We have our reception tomorrow" she reminded him

"I'll be gone a couple of hours" Punk assured her "Don't worry about it. I'll be back at the club tonight before closing"

"That's what you're wearing for a business meeting?" she asked noting his jeans and band t-shirt.

"Devon has a suit for me" Punk shrugged

"Is this meeting about the new club?" AJ asked curiously

"No" Punk said to her "It's for something Elliot is doing" he was avoiding eye contact and AJ was getting nervous and something just didn't seem right.

"If something else was going on you would tell me, right?" AJ asked him

"Yea it's fine don't worry about a thing" he said giving her a quick kiss.

* * *

Punk drove straight to Milwaukee and was there in record time. He was parked outside the dive bar that was clearly already re-opened. He made a mental note to make a few more phone calls after he left. Before he stepped out of the car he reached into his glove compartment and reached for the gun that was owned by Alberto and tucked it in the back of his pants and headed across the street to the bar.

"We're not open!" A voice yelled from behind the bar.

"I'm not here for a drink" Punk said and Primo shot up and looked over to him

"If it isn't my new brother" Primo grinned "Welcome, can I get you a beer?"

"I don't drink" Punk replied coolly looking around the place

"Not as nice as your bar" Primo teased

"I don't run a bar I own a club" Punk pointed out

"If you're here to ask for our permission for April's hand in marriage I think you're a bit late" Primo said to him

"I don't ask for permission for anything" Punk informed him

"So why are you here?" Primo asked with a sigh

"You went to see my wife a few days ago" Punk noted

"So?" Primo asked

"I thought we had an understanding" Punk said to him

"I guess you thought wrong" Primo shrugged moving a box off of the bar

"I'm not here about AJ though" Punk said to him "I'm here to talk to you about her roommate"

"I already spoke to the cop about that" Primo said to him "And last time I checked you didn't have a badge"

"I'm not a cop" Punk agreed "Just curious"

"I didn't even know her" Primo said to him "I felt bad when I heard about what happened to her which is why I went to go see my sister"

"AJ isn't your sister you need to understand that right now" Punk warned

"She sought me out" Primo reminded him

"She didn't realize what assholes shared her blood type" Punk retorted "I don't want to be here and you don't want me here so I'll make this short- where you sleeping with Celeste?"

"What?" Primo laughed "Where did you hear that?"

"It's a yes or no question" Punk said to him

"It's actually none of your business" Primo smiled "Did you think you would just walk in here and expect me to confide in you?"

"I think he did" Alberto chimed in walking into the bar

"Good you're here too" Punk mumbled

"You can call me dad" Alberto teased

"There's a lot of words I'd like to call you, dad isn't on the list" Punk smirked back

"Where's my little April?" Alberto asked

"So you can slap her again? I left her home" Punk said to him

"We've done everything you asked" Alberto said to him "Haven't been to Chicago"

"Primo was there a few days ago" Punk pointed out and Alberto seemed slightly taken back by this "And according to a few other people he had been there quit a few times since we had our last run-in"

"Why would you be in Chicago?" Alberto asked Primo

"I was checking in on AJ" Primo shrugged

"Or sleeping with her roommate?" Punk asked him

"The blonde?" Alberto laughed "Way to go kid" he said proudly "I prefer women with darker hair myself" he said to Punk "Long black hair, tiny little body-"

"You are fucking disgusting" Punk said in awe of the perverse man standing before him

"I'm just trying to shoot the breeze with my son-in-law" Alberto defended with a laugh "Why are you really here son?"

"Don't call me that" Punk warned

"Where are your little cronies?" Alberto asked him "You're not as bad without them"

"I can still take you both- easy" Punk said confidently "Want to give it a try?" he asked egging him on. Punk was kind of itching for a fight.

"It's enough" Primo said loudly "You can go" he said to Punk "Don't come back here either"

"I was going to say the same thing about you going to Chicago" Punk shot at him

"Give April a kiss from me" Alberto teased and Punk tensed as he walked to the door. Alberto was laughing when Punk turned around and grabbed Alberto and tossed him against the bar, before Alberto could react Punk pulled out the gun in his back pocket and placed it in his mouth and pulled back the hammer.

"Make one more fucking joke like that" Punk hissed as his spit hit Alberto's face. "I fucking dare you" he threatened

"Chill out man!" Primo yelled

"Back the fuck up!" He yelled towards Primo "Forget you ever met AJ and if you ever put your dirty fucking hands on her again I will come back here and pull this trigger" he warned "Try me" he seethed "You think I don't have the connection to clean this up? And this gun- owned by you" he reminded him.

Punk pulled the gun out of Alberto's mouth and he looked actually frightened by Punk, Primo was in a stance ready to pounce on Punk at any moment but he turned and pointed the gun at Primo.

"If I find out you killed Celeste and believe me I will I'm going to be the least of your problems" Punk warned him "Also don't ever show up at my home again or you won't make it back to this shit hole, I am done playing games!"

"Fine, just go!" Primo yelled at him. Punk gave them one last look then walked out of the bar.

* * *

AJ was sitting in the office at SXS texting Punk who was not answering back. She knew in her gut Punk wouldn't cheat on her but he was certainly lying to her and that bothered her to no end. She had just given him free range to read all about her childhood and she kept nothing from him ever, what was he keeping and why?

"Hey" Dean said walking into the office "Can you sign these"

"What is it?" AJ asked looking at her phone

"A paid vacation for me" Dean teased "Just kidding it's just a delivery"

"What is he hiding from me" AJ asked Dean

"Punk? Nothing" Dean shrugged

"Where did he tell you he was going tonight?" AJ asked him

"He said he had some sort of business thing with Elliot and Devon" Dean said to her "If he's keeping something from you he's keeping it from me too"

"I know he lied to me" AJ said to him and Dean sighed

"If he's lying to you he has a good reason to do so" Dean told her

"That makes it ok?" AJ asked him

"No but I know Punk and he only lies because he thinks it's what's for the best" Dean said to her "He's not cheating on you"

"I can't think of any other reason he would lie to me" AJ whispered

"He's nuts about you" Dean reminded her and that's when her door opened again

"AJ there's someone here to see you" Nikki said to her

"Who is it?" AJ asked her

"John" Nikki smiled "Surprise!"

"Wonderful" AJ forced out

"Devon was here but he snuck out when he saw John" Nikki whispered "He wanted me to give these to you" she said passing her files

"Devon was here?" AJ asked feeling her heart break

"Uh-huh about ten minutes ago" Nikki said "Everything ok?"

"No" AJ said to herself

"Tell John that AJ is very busy at the moment" Dean told Nikki

"No send him in" AJ said to her

"You don't have to deal with this guy right now" Dean said as Nikki walked out of the office and AJ stood up from behind her desk. "You're a little upset at the moment-"

"I'm not upset" AJ snapped "I'm angry"

"That's the same thing, no?" Dean asked innocently

"Why is he lying to me?" AJ demanded

"I'll call him right now and ask him" Dean said reaching for his phone

"No, no I'll deal with him later" AJ said to him

"That doesn't sound good" John smiled walking into the room. "I fear for whoever is on your shit list"

"It's you" Dean said to him

"No it's not" AJ said shaking her head and shaking John's hand. He lifted her hand and kissed it just like he did the first they met. "John this is Dean he's the manager of this club and will be fully taking over once Punk moves on to the new one"

"Nice to meet you" John smiled shaking his hand

"Not going to kiss my hand?" Dean questioned

"Would you like me too?" John asked with a laugh

"It's ok Dean I've got it from here" AJ said to him as she walked John over to the couch and took a seat next to him. When AJ crossed her legs on the couch Dena saw John look over her legs that were on display due to her wearing a dress.

"It's ok I've got nothing going on" Dean smiled squeezing between the two of them on the couch.

"Dean" AJ warned

"Seriously I think I should be in on this meeting" Dean said to her then looked at John "You don't mind right?"

"I don't mind but it's nothing club related this is about AJ's writing" John told him

"Oh" Dean said slowly

"It's not really your business" AJ hissed at Dean

"Fine" Dean said standing up "But I'm going to be right outside this office with my ear to the door" he warned John that's when Nikki walked in with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "What's this?" Dean asked

"John wanted me to bring it up" Nikki smiled opening the bottle and pouring two glasses.

"I really shouldn't" AJ said to him "I'm working"

"Dean's here" John pointed out but Dean didn't seem amused

"You're right" he said moving behind Punk's desk and taking a seat "I'll sit right here and run the club and you two can have your little business meeting right there in front of me" he said to them

* * *

An hour later a fight had broken out on the dance floor and Dean had to go downstairs to help clean up leaving AJ with John who were talking about her journals.

"I really think it's marketable" John said to her

"Look I appreciate you trying to help me out because you feel bad but I'm not a fan of working with a sexist" AJ told him honestly

"I get that" John said drinking his third glass of wine while AJ was still on her second. "But this is me making up for that. I had a long talk with Elliot and he made it clear you're not just a pretty face even though you do have one damn pretty face" he teased causing her to blush slightly

"You've never read my writing" AJ reminded him

"No I haven't but I'd like to" John said to her "Let me help you out to make up for this. I don't want you or anyone else for that matter thinking I'm some sort of sexist pig because believe me I love women" he assured her

"You don't seem to respect marriage" AJ noted and noticed he was taken back by that comment "I'm sorry that was rude"

"I deserve that comment" John smiled "But I was raised a certain way, my parents had the same kind of arrangement. I love Nicole and that's why I married her but we both like to test the waters with other people and as long as we're honest about it it's ok"

"So you have like a list?" AJ asked with a laugh

"Not really" he smiled "But Nicole would never be physical with a man I didn't approve of and I wouldn't be with a woman she didn't approve of" he said to her

"It's really weird" AJ said to him "I can't wrap my head around that"

"Would you rather Punk run behind your back or be honest about it?" John asked

"I'd rather him not sleep with anyone but me" AJ said to him

"Let's be honest for a moment" John started "I know Punk's reputation do you really think he's capable of being faithful? Don't get me wrong I can tell he loves you and that's all that matters"

"Phil isn't big on sharing" AJ smirked

"That's a shame" John said looking at her legs "Because Nicole has ok'd you"

"How lovely" AJ said nervously sipping her wine.

"Where is Punk tonight?" John asked leaning in slightly and taking the wine glass from her hand and placing it on the table.

"He's doing business" AJ lied. She knew he wasn't but she wasn't about to admit that she had no idea where her husband was.

"You really must work out a lot" he said running his finger down her leg and up to where her dress ended by her thigh.

"John" AJ started but he placed a finger over her lips.

"I'm not trying to push you into anything" he assured her "Just making an observation"

AJ had 2 glasses of wine in her and she was a lightweight and for some reason John touching her didn't bother her terribly. She wasn't cheating which she was sure that's exactly what Punk was doing at this very moment.

Punk walked into the club and looked annoyed as a bouncer dragged some drunk out of his club.

"What happened?" he asked coming up behind Dean

"Dude you are in so much trouble" Dean warned him "AJ knows you weren't Devon or at a business meeting"

"How do you know that?" Punk asked him

"Devon was here" Dean informed him

"Son of a bitch" Punk muttered

"And it gets worse" Dean said to him "AJ is upstairs drinking"

"Wonderful" he groaned "She's going to be hung over for this stupid fucking party tomorrow"

"It gets worse" Dean warned "She's not alone- John Cena is up there"

"What?" Punk asked with wide eyes

"Yea he showed up with a bottle of wine to discuss business" he said with air quotes.

Punk was already heading up the stairs and barged into his office and he was not happy with the sight before him. John had his hand on AJ's bare thigh and she was giggling. He could have sworn a vessel in his eye popped at the sight he walked in on.

"Phil" AJ said surprised as John moved his hand away

"Hey Punk we were-" John started

"Get out" Punk said keeping his eyes on AJ but talking to John. His voice was low but very dangerous.

"Nothing was-" John started

"Out!" He said louder pointing to the door still looking at AJ who looked mortified. John stood up and slowly walked out of the office and closed the door behind him.

Punk didn't say a word as he looked at his wife, his face turning more and more red by the second. AJ stood up and adjusted her dress slightly.

"Nothing was going on" she said walking to be face to face with him "Which is more than I can say for you. I know you were lying to me tonight so don't use this little innocent business meeting change the fact that you're the one who messed up tonight" she said grabbing her jacket. Punk's eyes followed every move AJ made and watched as she walked to the door.

"I'll be at home when you're ready to talk" she said opening the door but Punk slammed it shut and moved her hand away from it and locked it.

"We need to talk" He said in a cold voice.


	29. I'm Sorry

**I'm Sorry**

* * *

"I don't think we should be talking right now" AJ said to him "You seem really upset and I'm upset"

"Oh are you upset? Did you just walk in on me sticking my hands up another woman's dress?" Punk asked blocking her way to the door

"He was feeling the muscle in my thigh" AJ said with an annoyed sighed "And who knows what you were up to tonight" she shot at him "You lied to me!"

"You had another man in this office alone with you, drinking and touching each other!" He yelled back

"I didn't touch him!" AJ shouted "And stop changing the subject! Where were you tonight? And why in the hell did you lie to me!" She screamed

"I don't have to go over my schedule with you" Punk said to her "I don't answer to anyone and I never have or will"

"Wow" she said with a bitter laugh "Maybe you're not so much different from John"

"Don't you fucking dare" Punk warned pointing at her "I wasn't with another woman tonight you're the one who fucked up!"

"You lied!" she reminded him

"And if I didn't walk in when I did you'd be fucking John on this couch with his wife three feet from the door!" he shouted "Does that sort of thing turn you on?" he asked her

"What?" she asked stunned

"I read your journals you wrote how excited it was to fuck your foster bother Daniel when his parents were downstairs or in the next room" he reminded her getting in her face.

"I was fifteen" she said holding back tears

"And clearly not much has changed" he said looking at her with disgust "In my fucking office?!" he yelled

"I wasn't going to sleep with him!" she yelled

"You were drinking with him!" Punk yelled back

"Two glasses of wine" she defended

"You agreed to marry me" He reminded her coldly "There's no hanging around other men letting them touch you" he informed her "You gave up that right when you let me put a ring on your finger"

"I don't want to be with John!" AJ yelled

"So why were you locked away with him letting him feel you up?" Punk demanded

"He wanted to go over publishing ideas with me" AJ said to him "Did he make a pass at me? Yes he did" she told him and she watched as he jerked his head ready to explode "And he put his finger over my lips and I told him if he touched me like that again I would kick him in the nuts, that's when he grabbed my leg and said he'd rather not get kicked by them and you walked in" she told him "I'm not some fifteen year old girl Phil" she spat "And how dare you not trust me when I have never lied to you!" Punk was slightly taken back but believed what she said.

"I went to Milwaukee" he admitted. If she was going to be honest so was he. "Randy thinks Celeste was seeing someone he implied it was Primo so I drove down there to ask him"

"Why didn't you just tell me that?" AJ asked him

"Because I didn't want to upset you" Punk said to her

"Lying to me upsets me" AJ shot at him "Do you know what I was thinking?"

"That I was cheating on you obviously" Punk said looking at her "I could have killed him when I walked into this room. Don't use someone to make me jealous again" he warned her

"I wasn't using him but I'm glad you got a taste of your own medicine" AJ said honestly "Lying to me no matter the reason is still wrong. You messed up tonight"

"You did too!" Punk yelled "You think what you did was ok tonight? You didn't look ready to kick anyone you looked ready to hike up your tight dress and fuck another guy on my couch!"

"If wanted to fuck John Cena I would have" she said in an almost threatening voice

"No you wouldn't have" he said shaking his head "Over my dead body. There is no other men for you ever again"

"What about you?" AJ asked "Does that rule apply to you?"

"Of course it does" He said annoyed "And I wasn't with another woman tonight! I was with your pervy father and scumbag brother! I was doing something for you!"

* * *

"You shouldn't be doing that" Roman said from the chair in the VIP lounge. Dean had his ear against the door and was listening to Punk and AJ.

"Aren't you curious?" Dean asked him "I don't think they have ever argued before this is magical"

"Still shouldn't be listening" Roman said to him

"I just want to know if we're going to have to bury John's body" Dean defended lightly "Sounds like we are"

"They'll get over it" Roman mumbled looking at his phone

"Oh man" Dean laughed listening "She is not giving up, Punk is going to fucking explode"

"He's not going to hurt her" Roman said to Dean

"Of course not I know" Dean said seriously "I think he might throw himself him out his window though" he laughed that's when he heard the door unlock and ran towards the couch and sat next to Roman.

"Stop following me!" AJ yelled after Punk as she walked past the boys and headed towards the bathroom

"I'm not done talking!" Punk yelled following her

AJ stormed into the bathroom and began to close the door but Punk pushed it open and stepped inside and closed it behind himself.

"Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you" he said locking the door

"What do you want me to say?" AJ asked "I will not apologize" she said firmly folding her arms "I did nothing wrong"

"You did" Punk said to her "And you should apologize"

"You should apologize for lying to me" AJ said back and he rolled his eyes

"Do you think I was having a great time hanging with your family?" Punk mocked "They are some of the worst people I have ever met and believe me I've met some real assholes in my day!" he yelled "I may have had my issues and yea sometimes I fight and hurt people but I have never held a gun in my head and almost pulled a trigger before!"

"What?" AJ asked surprised "You have a gun?"

"That's not the point-" he started

"Phil why do you have a gun?" she asked walking to him "What are you thinking?"

"It's not mine its Alberto's" Punk said to her "And I put in his mouth and almost pulled the trigger, want to know why? Because that's how fucking far I'd go to keep you safe" he said to her and that's when she slapped him across the face- hard.

"Are you stupid?" AJ asked him "You can't have a gun! You're going to get yourself killed!" Punk was still in shock from not just the slap but the amount of force she put behind it. "You don't even know how to use one! What if you shot him? You'd be in jail! You'd be ripped from me just as we started out together! You could have been killed Phil!" she screamed waving her hands around "I juts lost my best friend and you went and almost got yourself killed for what? To find out who killed her? Guess what? It's not worth it to me!"

"AJ-" he started seeing how worked up she was getting

"I mean what if one of them had a gun" She cried "You didn't' go with Roman or Dean so you obviously went by yourself! Are you that insane!"

"It's ok" He said grabbing her arms gently

"It's not" she cried dropping her face in his chest "Don't ever do that again" she sobbed "I can't lose you, you're all I have" Punk wrapped his around her and let her cry. "Don't you realize I love you just as much as you love me?" she asked looking up at him

"Yea" He whispered tucking her hair back "Sorry" he said hoping that would be enough so she would stop crying. He knew how to handle yelling and screaming but when she cried he was defenseless.

"I'm sorry too" she said to him "I would never cheat on you"

"I know" He said holding her tightly "We both were stupid tonight"

"Yea" She agreed "Never again"

"Never again" he repeated. He pulled away and began to kiss her as AJ's hands gripped his face to force his lips against hers harder.

It was almost as if AJ was trying to drag him to the bathroom floor but Punk wasn't that into the moment, he would not have sex on a dirty bathroom floor- the sink was a different story. He kept his lips attached to hers as he guided her over to the sink and lifted her so she was sitting on it.

"I love you" he said kissing all over her face "Please don't"

"Don't what?" she asked as he pushed the strap of her dress down to kiss her collarbone

"Be with anyone else, it would kill me" he admitted and she felt her own heart break.

"I won't" she whispered and grabbed his face and kissed him as hard as she could.

AJ wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her legs so he could nestle between them. His heart was racing and his hands were roaming all over her body until he reached under her dress. He pulled her panties down until they fell from her body and hit the floor.

"Only you" She promised as she tugged at his shorts and tugged them down. His two fingers entered her moist opening.

"I would never cheat on you" he said to her honestly as he moved his fingers in and out of her and she held onto him so she wouldn't fall off of the sink.

"I know" She whispered

"Seeing another man touch you in anyway…makes me crazy" he said to her

"It won't happen again" she swore "He's not you, I don't want anyone but you" she said as he kissed his favorite spot on her neck. "Sorry I hit you" She said and she felt him smile against her skin "Thank you for not hitting me back by the way" she added and he moved his head so he was looking at her directly.

"No matter how mad you make me, no matter what I'm feeling you never in your life have to worry about that" He said cupping her cheek with his one free hand "Look at me" he said noticing her eyes were looking to the floor "You are safe with me- always. I'm not like the people you grew up around" he reminded her

"I know" she said with a faint smile

"Never AJ" he said seriously "Don't ever think that" He said seriously

"I won't" she promised and pulled him back into the kiss. Punk pulled his fingers out of her and readied himself to enter her, which he did very slowly. "Oh" she moaned arching her back as far as she could without falling into him.

"So beautiful" he said against her lips. He began to intensely thrust into her causing her to move her lips away from him and look over his shoulder and hold onto him for dear life, she knew he wouldn't let her fall.

The door opened slightly and Nikki walked inside and gasped by what she saw, instead of freaking out AJ just shot Nikki a cocky smirk knowing she had passion and love with a man that Nikki lacked with her own husband. Nikki quietly stepped out of the room and once she was gone AJ moved her eyes over to Punk's and kissed him again….

* * *

The next day Punk and AJ were arriving to their month later wedding reception. AJ was dressed in a royal blue dress while Punk was in a three-piece suit and AJ loved it. AJ met so many more members of Klein family and she was getting along great with everyone. Punk was in awe of her as she mingled like she had known everyone forever.

"So how is married life?" Elliot asked his son as he leaned against the bar and watched his wife closely.

"Good" Punk said to him

"Still in the honeymoon faze?" Elliot asked with a smirk

"Yea I think so" he said unsurely "We had our first real big fight last night"

"Did you admit you were wrong and grovel at her feet?" Elliot asked

"No" he laughed then thought about it, he did cave first

"I'll take that no as a yes" Elliot chuckled

"Do me a favor?" Punk asked Elliot "Tell John Cena if I ever see him again I am going to hurt him very badly"

"Oh boy" Elliot mumbled "What happened now?"

"Showed up at the club last night and hit on my wife that's what happened" Punk said annoyed "After we were done fighting about it AJ told me all about it, I think he was really trying to convince her to have an open marriage" he said and Elliot laughed out loud

"He's a strange guy" Elliot said to him "But look at your wife" He said nodding towards her "You can't beat up every man that makes a pass at her"

"I think I can" Punk said to him seriously

"Speaking of that I'll be stopping by your place tomorrow and I'll be picking up that gun" Elliot said surprising him

"AJ tattled on me?" Punk asked stunned because there was no other way he could know.

"Actually no she didn't" Elliot said to him "Mia told me, how she knew I don't know. I would assume she heard it from Dean. What were you thinking Phillip?" he asked him

"I was thinking I was protecting my wife" Punk whispered to him not wanting everyone to hear him

"Putting a gun in someone's mouth is crazy" Elliot said to him "We don't do that sort thing"

"If it was Jennifer's family you would have done the same" Punk said to him

"No doubt" Elliot admitted "I would just have to hope I'd have someone like me keeping me from doing something stupid. I know what I would do if I was you which is why I'm taking the gun" he said to him seriously

"Fine" Punk said to him

"And no more trips to Milwaukee, I spoke to Steve about that too" Elliot said to him

"I don't need you to do this" Punk said to him "I can take care of myself"

"We're family" Elliot reminded him "You're my son and I'm going to protect you whether you like it or not. You may be married but you're still a little boy to me."

"They don't know who killed Celeste anymore" Punk reminded him "I need to protect her"

"Sure you do" He agreed "But she's my daughter now as well and I'll protect her the same way I have with my other three children. I have a meeting with police commissioner Monday and I'll see where this investigation is going and make it clear that I have concerns for AJ's safety"

"Thank you" Punk said to him

"Hey do you want to dance?" AJ asked walking over to the two with a silly smile

"I'll pass" Punk smirked

"I wasn't talking to you" AJ shot at him then smiled at Elliot.

"I would be honored" Elliot grinned putting his drink down and took AJ by the hand and led her to the dance floor.

Punk watched with a smile as AJ danced with the man he considered to be his father in every sense of the word. He remembered when they were kids how Elliot and Jennifer would put music on randomly and just dance around together and deep down Punk had always wanted that with a woman. He moved from where he was standing and walked over to them and tapped his father on his shoulder.

"Can I cut in?" Punk asked

"We were just getting started" Elliot frowned then smiled "It was lovely dancing with you" he said kissing AJ's cheek then placed her hand in Punk's.

"Having fun?" he asked as they swayed on the dance floor.

"The best time" AJ smiled "I've never been surrounded by so many happy people before" she admitted

"The Klein's are happy people" Punk teased "Good people"

"They really are" AJ said to him "Your grandmother asked me when we're having a baby"

"I'm sure she did" Punk smirked "What?" he asked noticing how quiet she was

"We've never talked about that" She said looking up at him "Do you want children?"

"I want what you want" He replied smoothly as he spun her and pulled her back against his chest.

"I never wanted children" She admitted "I didn't think I'd be capable of loving a child and I didn't want my child to feel the way I felt when I was younger. Unlovable."

"You're not unlovable" Punk told her "And you wouldn't be capable of not loving your own child" he assured her

"Maybe down the road?" she asked

"I agree" Punk said to her "I want you to myself for a little bit longer. It sounds selfish and I don't even care" she laughed at the remark and kissed him

"You're not selfish" she said to him "But you have to tell your Aunt Claire who gave me a book of baby names"

"Oh jeez" He laughed "I'll take care of it"

"You're a really good dancer" AJ noted

"When I first went to live with my parents they signed me up for dance classes" he admitted

"What?" She asked with a wide smile

"I was really young but they thought it would be a creative outlet for me" he said to her "Do not tell another living soul" He warned and she just laughed

"I think it's awesome" she said to him

"I think you're awesome" the line was cheesy but she always melted. "And I promise you'll get that honeymoon"

"It's not a big deal" AJ said to him

"It is to me" Punk said to her "Once things get settled with the case and the new club we'll go" he promised

"I just want to be with you" She said to him "I don't need anything else, just you" he leaned down and kissed her and neither realized they were the only two on the dance floor.


	30. Looking Back

**Looking Back**

* * *

_Today is my last day in New Jersey and I am never coming back. The only positive memories I have from this place are gone. I'm going to start over fresh in Chicago with Celeste and get myself through school and make a better life for myself. Daniel has been gone for years and even though I handed my heart over to Jeff it still wasn't enough. I'm not enough for anyone and I never will be until I find myself and make myself happy. I don't even think it would be possibly to make someone else happy or truly love them since I don't know anything about love. I know deep down I'm capable of it and if I'm ever lucky enough to find it I know I wont blow it. I'll hold onto it and never let it go._

"You're bringing them to work now?" AJ asked walking into Punk's office

"Yea I like reading your words" Punk said closing the journal

"You know now that you're reading those journals you literally will know everything about me" AJ said to him

"Yea I like that" He said with a wide smile

"I still don't know much about you" AJ reminded him "You never talk about your birth parents"

"My dad was a drunk who used to hit me and my mom" Punk said to her "I don't like to go back to that place but after reading your stuff I'm starting to think if I would have written it down I could have saved Elliot a lot of money on therapy sessions"

"You went to therapy?" AJ asked

"Yea when I first went to live with them" Punk admitted "I was confused, angry"

"Maria said the Klein's took you in because you were friends with Devon" AJ said and Punk snorted

"Devon and I went to the same private school" Punk said to her "I only went because my dad worked for the school"

"He was a teacher?" AJ asked

"No janitor" Punk told her "Devon was a little nerd and had no friends so one day when Jennifer came to school she asked to meet his friends and he said I was his friend. I went along with it" he shrugged

"That's so sweet" AJ smiled

"Elliot and Jennifer made him invite me over for sleepovers and stuff like that" Punk told her

"So you were friends" AJ said to him

"I guess" Punk said to her "Jennifer saw a bruise on my arm once and questioned me about it, then she saw another one the next week and another and she caught on to what was going on. She called child services and my dad agreed to move out so I can stay with my mom"

"It didn't get any better?" AJ asked

"Worse" Punk said to her "My mom blamed me for my dad leaving and drank herself into oblivion. She picked me up from school drunk as a skunk and crashed right into a pole"

"Oh my god you were in the car?" AJ asked horrified

"Yea" Punk said "I had my seatbelt on and didn't have a scratch on me, my mom was killed instantly"

"I'm so sorry" She said to him sadly

"It was a long time ago" Punk said to her "Anyway Jennifer picked me from the hospital and took my home and I never left. She blamed herself for a lot of it but she saved me life. It sounds cruel but if my dad was still around I'm sure my mom would have ended up dead anyway and probably me"

"Where's your dad now? You mentioned prison once" she asked

"Last I checked he was there" Punk said to her "Haven't seen or heard from him in years"

"What was he in prison for?" AJ asked

"Beating his latest wife" Punk told her "Charming guy" he muttered under his breath

"I'm sorry your childhood was so rough" AJ said to him

"I lucked out" Punk said to her "Elliot and Jennifer saved me. I had a much better childhood then most, better then yours at least"

"Watching your mom die is something you never forget" AJ said to him

"You saw your mom die too?" Punk asked her. She never really spoke about her mom's suicide.

"I found her" AJ told him "It's my earliest childhood memory. She was hanging in her bedroom" she whispered "I didn't know what she was doing but her face was blue and when I grabbed her hand she was cold. I sat in the corner of her bedroom looking at her for eighteen hours before someone found us"

"Wow" Punk said quietly "That's absolutely the worst thing I have ever heard"

"Let's not talk about this anymore, stop depressing ourselves" She said quickly putting on a smile

"I agree" he said grabbing her hand as she sat on the edge of his desk "I like your outfit today" he said and she smirked

"I'm wearing black leggings, a black tank-top and black boots" she pointed out

"And you look amazing" He said to her "I want to rip your clothes off"

"Speaking of that I think we need to stop having sex at work" AJ said to him and he dropped her hand

"It's my favorite part about coming to work" he argued "Why would you take that away from me?" he asked as if AJ just announced she was leaving him

"Because last time we did someone walked in and Dean walked in while I was under your desk" AJ said to him

"Who walked in last time?" he asked

"Nikki" AJ said to him and he looked unimpressed

"We'll lock the door" he shrugged

"We never remember" She said to him

"Please don't do this to me" He pleaded and she let out a laugh

"You're a big boy you'll be fine" she said moving his hand off of her leg and jumping off his desk.

"Where are you going?" he asked her

"I'm going to do what a club owner is supposed to do, mingle" she said to him

"No they're supposed to stay in their offices and fool around with their husbands" Punk said to her

"I don't think that's true" AJ smirked as the office door opened "Elliot" she said surprised

"Hi sweetheart" he said giving her a kiss hello "Am I interrupting?"

"Nope" AJ said to him "I was just about to go work on some things I'll give you some time" she said to him

"I'll see you before I leave" Elliot promised and AJ walked out the door "You alright son? It looks like you just found out your puppy died"

"Worse" Punk said to him

"Want to talk about it?" Elliot asked concerned

"No it's best I don't" Punk smirked "So what's up?"

"I met with the police commissioner earlier" Elliot informed him and Punk nodded "The DNA doesn't match Randy"

"You're kidding" Punk said slowly

"No, afraid not" Elliot said to him "He's being released tomorrow morning"

"So Celeste's killer is still out there" Punk said slowly

"Afraid so" Elliot said to him "The commissioner doesn't think AJ is in danger but he does think that she could know who the killer is"

"If she knew she'd say it" Punk said to him

"He doesn't think she's hiding anything but Steve does think her killer is her mystery man if Celeste didn't want AJ to know then there's a good chance AJ is very aware of who it is" Elliot said to him "The police want to interview her again"

"She's said everything she knows" Punk said to him

"She's talked about everyone who may have been mad at Celeste, this man may not have been mad at her up until that night" Elliot reminded him

"I hate that AJ has to keep reliving this" Punk said to him "And I feel very uneasy about Randy being free since his intentions with AJ have been anything but innocent"

"I'm filing an order of protection against Randy on AJ's behalf first thing in the morning" Elliot told him "He gets within a hundred yards of her he's going back to jail"

"Thanks" Punk said to him "Doesn't make me feel much better"

"I know but don't worry about it" Elliot said to him "She's going to have people watching her back"

"Yea" Punk said quietly but was clearly bothered by it.

"Mr. Brooks, John is here to see you" Nikki announced walking into his office

"Your husband John?" Punk asked stunned "I really hope that's not the case"

"He said you had a meeting" Nikki shrugged

"Yes send him in" Elliot smiled towards her

"What are you doing?" Punk hissed towards his father

"I'm going to teach you how to handle things like this" Elliot informed him as John walked in.

"Elliot" John said with a big smile and shook his hand "Hey Punk" He said extending his hand but Punk didn't make a move to accept it. He just leaned back in his chair and glared towards the man he so badly wanted to punch.

"Did you try to get my wife drunk and in bed on your way up by any chance?" Punk asked him seriously and John chuckled

"We have different lifestyles, I see that now" John said to him "It was my mistake to think you and AJ had the same arrangement that Nikki and myself have"

"Why would you even think that?" Punk asked annoyed "Do you run into a lot of couples that have that same kind of open arrangement?"

"You'd be surprised" John said honestly

"Well I actually respect not only my wife but marriage in general" Punk informed him

"I'm sorry you have to hear this" John said to Elliot

"No this is good getting it all out in the open" Elliot smiled and looked towards John "But I am going to tell you right now if you ever put your hands on my daughter-in-law again or try to make any sort of pass at her again I will pull all my backing and we won't have any kind of business relationship" he told John coolly "You already damn well know we don't need your backing on the new club but I pulled you in because you wanted to spread your wings. You treat my daughter with respect or I will cut those wings off" he warned and even Punk had to smirk. John was completely taken back.

"I understand" John assured him very formally "I apologize"

"You apologize to her" Elliot said to him "Don't mess with my family again John"

"It truly wasn't my intention" John assured him

"Go find my daughter-in-law and be respectful when you apologize" Elliot ordered and John nodded

"Sorry Elliot" he said to him and Elliot just nodded and looked towards Punk as John left his office "I didn't even have to threaten to hit him" he pointed out to Punk

"Impressive" Punk smiled

"And that is how it's done" Elliot said proudly standing up "What are you reading?" he asked nodding towards the book

"It's AJ's journal" Punk said and Elliot looked horrified "It's an old one she has like hundred of these and she told me I could read them- I swear" he said to him "She really is a good writer"

"John isn't the only one with friends" Elliot smirked

* * *

A few hours later AJ headed back into Punk's office and he had his nose in one of her journals.

"We're all good to go" AJ said peeking into his office

"Already?" he asked

"Yea it's three in the morning they're just cleaning up" AJ said to him

"I need to talk to you" Punk said closing her journal

"This sounds serious" AJ said seriously as she took a seat across from his desk "You're not even looking at my breasts"

"It is serious" Punk said to her "And I am, I'm just getting better at disguising it"

"What's up?" She asked with a smile

"It's about Celeste" Punk started "The DNA didn't match Randy"

"I wasn't expecting that" AJ said slightly surprised "So what does this mean?"

"The police are believing Randy's story" Punk said to her "They think Celeste was with someone else and he could have killed her"

"She never said anything to me about seeing someone else" AJ admitted "I swear if she did I would have told the police"

"I believe that" Punk said to her "But the police are going to want to talk to you and they're going to ask you this so I just wanted to give you a heads up so you can give it some thought"

"I really can't think of anyone" AJ admitted

"It's someone she didn't want you to know about" Punk said to her "Randy thought it was me at first because she was so adamant about you not knowing"

"Really?" AJ asked him and he nodded

"What about college?" Punk asked her "Was there maybe a boyfriend you had that could have been interested in Celeste?"

"I didn't really have relationships in college and I wouldn't care if she was with any of the guys I was with anyway" she shrugged

"I've been thinking we have these" he said holding up her journal "Maybe we can read through these and you can get an idea or something" he suggested

"I guess" AJ said to him "I haven't read thru these journals ever though"

"But thankfully you've written everything down" Punk smirked "It's just an idea"

"No it's a really good idea" AJ agreed "You've been reading them what do you think?"

"I don't think anything yet" Punk said to her "The only man you two had in common is Jeff"

"Jeff lives in New Jersey" AJ reminded him

"Yea and he's in a band and tours all of the time" Punk said to her "He was an hour from Chicago the night Celeste died"

"Why would Jeff hurt her?" AJ asked

"I don't know and I'm not saying he did-" Punk started

"He took really good care of us" AJ said cutting him off "He loved Celeste like a sister, him sleeping with her would be perverse"

"It's just a thought" Punk said to her "I'm not saying he did it or anything but would it have bothered you?"

"I don't know" AJ admitted "I mean when we were younger yes it would have" she said to him "But once I met you I forgot Jeff existed" she shrugged

"When I was reading some of your stuff I noticed how you wrote Jeff and Celeste were always together that you almost felt like a third wheel" he pointed out "Maybe they had something going on" he said to her

"I feel like she would have told me" AJ said to him

"Not if she thought it would hurt you" Punk said and AJ had to agree with that. Celeste always protected AJ.

"Jeff has never been a violent person" AJ said to him

"You wrote that he had trouble with drugs" Punk reminded her

"When he was sixteen" AJ said to him

"Things like that don't just go away AJ" Punk said to her

"You want me to talk to him?" AJ asked unsurely

"No" he said quickly "I don't want you involved with this but give his name to Steve and let him talk to him."

"I guess" AJ said, clearly this made her all very uncomfortable "I still think it's a stretch, maybe there was a guy she was seeing work"

"Did you know anyone of them?" Punk asked and she shook her head 'no'

"No" she admitted

"It's someone you know" Punk said to her "I don't think it was Primo or Alberto"

"I'll talk to Steve tomorrow and give him Jeff's information" AJ assured him

"Ok good" Punk said to her "And please whatever you do- do not reach out to Jeff first"

"I won't" AJ said to him

"I'm serious AJ this is dangerous and you're not a cop" Punk said to her "I don't even like that you're giving names to the police but it's the right thing to do"

"What about her stuff?" AJ asked him "You said you had some of her more personal items stored away right?"

"Yea" Punk said to her "You want to look thru it?"

"I mean maybe there's a clue in there" AJ shrugged "I might see something that'll help me jog my memory"

"Alright" Punk said standing up "Let's get the hell out of here"

"I was hoping you'd say that" AJ said standing up. Punk reached for her jacket and held it open for her and slipped it on her. "By the way John wanted me to tell Elliot that I accepted his apology" she smirked

"I'll make sure to tell Elliot" Punk said to her

"Did you get him in trouble with daddy?" AJ teased

"Elliot wasn't a fan of John trying to get under your dress either" Punk defended "He just handled it in a less violent way than me"

"You have so much power to scare people without jamming a gun in someone's mouth" AJ reminded him as she buttoned up her jacket

"But it's easy to do it that way" Punk said to her seriously

"Come on" she said grabbing his hand

"I can't wait to get home" Punk said as they "I thought we'd at least get to fool around a little" he pouted

"Oh stop" she laughed

"I mean you wouldn't even let me touch your breasts" he said to her "I was staying over the shirt" he pointed out

"It's not appropriate" AJ said to him

"Not even one kiss" he said to her

"I'll tell you what" she staid stopping before they went down the stairs. She grabbed his face gently and gave him a kiss. "Since you were so good about the new rules I'll let you touch me in the car on the way home"

"Where?" he asked suspiciously

"Anywhere you want" She smiled

"Punk" a female voice pulled them away and both turned to see Amy, Punk's red haired vixen from the past. She was shaking and cut up, her eye was swollen as well.

"Amy" he said surprised walking over to her "What happened?" the concern in his voice was something AJ had only heard when he would speak to her.

"I can't-" she started to cry and dropped her head into his chest. "Can we talk privately?" she asked him hopefully

"Um-" Punk started and looked over to his wife. AJ would prefer if Punk didn't but he was a good man and she could see it in his eyes he wanted to help her.

"Go ahead" AJ encouraged "I'll be downstairs when you're ready"

"Are you sure?" Punk asked

"Yea it's fine" she said to Punk and watched as he led Amy into his office and closed the door behind them.


	31. Payback

**Payback**

* * *

Punk woke up the next morning in a chair but he wasn't at home, he was in a hotel room- fully dressed and it took a few minutes for him to realize where he was. He looked over to the bed and it was unfamiliar to see a red head occupying it. He remembered Amy showed up at his club a blubbering mess. AJ had been supportive but he could tell she wasn't fond of the idea of Punk taking Amy to a hotel room so she'd have a roof over her head for the night. She was roughed up and clearly high when she arrived at the club and not only did Amy refuse to speak in front of AJ but he didn't want Amy in that condition near AJ either.

He really wanted to get to the bottom to what happened to Amy and really wanted to know who hurt her but Amy passed out as soon as they checked in and he had moved his chair to the front of the door just in case she tried to sneak out in the middle of the night. He looked at his phone and saw he had no messages from AJ even though he was sure she wasn't happy he had been gone the entire night, he wouldn't have liked it either. He dialed her number and it went to voicemail.

"Hi babe it's me" Punk started quietly "I'm still here, Amy passed out and I'm waiting for her to wake up. I'm sorry I didn't make it home and I'll call you when I have this all figured out, I love you" he then ended the call and looked over to Amy who was still fast asleep.

* * *

AJ was in the storage unit with Mia and Dean going thru some of Celeste's personal items when Punk called, she didn't purposely miss the call but she decided to just wait to hear from him again before freaking out.

"You're handling this very maturely" Mia said proudly "If Dean took his ex to a hotel room and spent the night he'd be in the hospital"

"I believe it" Dean said seriously as he looked inside a box and took some papers out

"I don't want to jump to conclusions like I did last time" AJ said to her "Besides I'm not worried about him sleeping with her she was in no condition for that"

"I think it's terrible she was in such rough shape" Mia said and Dean rolled his eyes because he knew there was a 'but' coming "But it's her own damn fault. Punk has tried a hundred times to get her help and she never lasts"

"He's a good guy" AJ reminded her

"His focus should be on you" Mia argued

"He's just doing the right thing" Dean defended

"I'm just saying what AJ is thinking. If she says it out loud she's a bitch, if I say it out loud I'm just the bratty little sister" Mia shrugged "You're welcome" she smiled towards AJ who returned the grin

"I hope she's ok" AJ said to them "I also hope she doesn't drag Phil into anymore trouble, I've already done that enough to last a lifetime"

"What's this?" Dean asked pulling something out of the box "Can this help?" he asked handing it to AJ

"It's her daily planner" AJ said looking at it "Could help, thanks"

"What are we looking for exactly?" Mia asked her

"Anything to prove Celeste was seeing someone else so I can figure it out it was" AJ said to her "I appreciate you guys doing this with me"

"We're family" Mia said sternly "It's what we do" she said opening a different box

"Didn't you already decide on the names you were giving the police?" Dean asked "Punk said the weird guy from the funeral was who you guys suspected"

"It's who Punk suspects" AJ said to him "I don't believe that but I did call Steve this morning and give him his name"

"Well that's good maybe it's him and this will all be over" Dean suggested

"Jeff is an awesome guy" AJ said to him "He wouldn't hurt anyone let alone Celeste"

"And that is why we're here looking for other options" Mia said shooting Dean a glare

"I don't even know if I believe what Randy said" AJ admitted "But Punk seems to"

"It's worth a shot" Mia said to her.

As AJ went through more and more boxes she was giving up hope until she found a picture inside of Celeste's jewelry box. It was picture of her, Jeff &amp; Celeste from the carnival but the picture was folded over so it was AJ was seen in it, just Jeff &amp; Celeste. Could Jeff have been seeing Celeste? And honestly it did bother AJ if that was the case.

* * *

"You've showered, you've ate- now you talk" Punk demanded of Amy

"Aren't you hungry?" Amy asked him "Chocolate chip pancakes are your favorite" she pointed out

"No I'm not hungry" Punk said annoyed "I want to get home"

"So go home" Amy shrugged "Nothing is keeping you here"

"You came to my club last night, you have a black eye I want answers" Punk pointed out

"What do you care?" Amy asked him

"I care" he said to her

"You've forgotten all about me" Amy reminded him "You met Cinderella and forgot all about me" she reminded him.

"Her name is AJ" Punk corrected

"Poor girl from New Jersey wanders into daddy's building and hits the jackpot" Amy remarked "I'm more worried about you then me to be honest"

"Amy this isn't about her" Punk said to her "Was this Seth?"

"No" Amy said to him "I owe some money to a friend"

"By friend do you mean dealer?" Punk asked

"Maybe" Amy said to him

"How much?"

"Fifteen grand" she told him

"Jesus Christ Amy!" Punk yelled "You snorted fifteen grand? What is wrong with you?"

"It makes me feel good Punk" Amy argued "Something has to" she muttered

"Don't you dare blame this on me" he warned "You were dabbling in this shit even when were together"

"And you cut me out of your life" Amy reminded him "You never called, you never checked in- how could you just stop caring about someone? I know you're a bit of a man whore and all but I thought we had something a little more special" she said to him "I mean you used to call me up after one of your lame one night stands couldn't handle you" she smiled at the memory "You never could keep your hands to yourself either. Do you remember that one Sunday dinner at your folks house where you put your hands under my dress and fucked me with your fingers?"

"What I do remember is finding my little sister crying on my doorstep because she walked in on you and her fiancé" Punk shot at her coldly

"You saw other women too" Amy defended "And I was ok with that arrangement I didn't realize you weren't"

"You were free to see any guy you wanted" Punk said honestly "You weren't free to hurt my sister"

"I did her a favor" Amy said to him "And you know it. You hated Seth so much you used to tell me all of the time how you wanted him out of your sisters life you should be thanking me"

"Don't you dare try to turn this around now" Punk warned "You didn't give a shit about my sister you were sleeping with Seth because he was giving you drugs"

"You just know it all" Amy mocked

"Why didn't you go see Seth last night?" Punk asked

"He's still roughed up" Amy said to him "Hasn't been back to work after visiting SXS"

"Too bad" Punk remarked sarcastically

"I'm sorry that I put such a strain between you" Amy said to him and he laughed

"Don't be so full of yourself" Punk laughed loudly "That had nothing to do with you, Seth was touching my wife while she was passed out"

"He likes that" Amy smirked "Sometimes he waits until I'm-"

"Stop" Punk warned her "I don't want to talk about Seth anymore" he told her "I want the name of the guy you owe money to"

"You're not going to hurt him are you?" Amy asked nervously

"No" Punk said to her "I'm going to pay your debt"

"Why would you do that?" Amy asked him

"Because regardless of how I personally feel about you I don't want to turn on the news and see you've been found in a ditch" Punk said to her "But that's it Amy. Don't show up at my place again"

"I swear" Amy said to him "Thank you, you're the best" She said giving him a sloppy kiss on the cheek

"I want you to get help" Punk said to her "I'll pay for you to go to rehab"

"I don't need rehab" she said to him "I can stop whenever I want"

"So prove it" Punk challenged

"Will you reward me if I'm a good girl?" she asked teasingly grabbing his shirt "Oh wait you prefer your girls bad" she whispered but Punk pulled away from her

"Do what you want. After I pay this off for you I'm officially done with you. Unless you want serious help don't come back to me" Punk warned her

"Let's say I get myself cleaned up" Amy started "Would you look at me the way you used to?"

"No" Punk told her honestly "AJ is my wife"

"She can't give you what you want" Amy said coldly

"Oh she does and then some" Punk said smugly "Get your stuff, leave the name and don't come back around my place because you won't be let in again."

* * *

AJ was at the new club overseeing all the work going on and everything was almost done. Money clearly did motivate people to work fast and AJ couldn't believe how this place had been turned around in a matter of months. AJ was spending the day working on what would be her shared office with Punk but she decorated it as if he wasn't part of it, it was dark and had candles and more importantly two separate desks.

"Hi" Punk said walking into the office

"Hey" she smiled

"It looks great" Punk said looking around "Which desk is mine?"

"The smaller one" she said pointing

"You get the big desk and huge leather chair?" Punk asked

"Yup" she said to him "If you don't like your chair I'll see what I can do about that"

"I think I should have the bigger desk" He said looking at them "Unless you're ok with me having sex with you on your desk?" he asked casually

"We discussed this" She warned

"We'll see how long you last" he smirked "I called you earlier"

"I know I got your message I hope everything is ok" AJ said moving some things around on her desk

"AJ you have every right to be mad" Punk said to her

"I trust you" she said not looking up at him as she arranged her pens and pencils

"AJ" he said in a warning voice and she looked up at him

"So you spent the night with your very attractive ex-girlfriend at a hotel" AJ said with a laugh "She clearly was upset"

"Full disclosure" Punk reminded her "She passed out as soon as I got her back to the hotel I slept in a chair, when she woke up we talked and we resolved her issues"

"How so?" AJ asked

"She owes money to a dealer I'm going to pay it" Punk said to her

"That's very nice of you" AJ said to him "It must be a lot of money seeing how her face looked last night"

"Fifteen thousand" he said and AJ froze

"You handed fifteen thousand dollars over to a drug dealer?" she asked slowly

"Not personally" Punk defended "Roman did it"

"That's a lot of money to hand out without talking to me about it" AJ said seriously

"I have the money it's ok" Punk shrugged and AJ was slightly taken back by the comment and he wasn't sure why.

"You're right" AJ agreed taking a seat in her new chair "It's your money its not my business what you do with it"

"What?" Punk asked her

"It's just a lot money" AJ repeated "And I thought being in a marriage we'd discuss things like this but as you pointed out a week ago you don't answer to anyone" Punk eyed her as she continued "Also as you just pointed out it's just your money"

"I didn't say that" Punk said to her "It's our money I shouldn't have worded it that way"

"It's really not though" AJ said to him "I don't know anything about our finances- woops worry I mean yours"

"We never went over money before?" Punk asked

"You buy me anything I want, you pay all of the bills" she shrugged "I know what I have in my bank account"

"You still have your own bank account?" Punk asked her "What could you possibly use it for?"

"I use it to pass gas in the car and to buy new clothes" she said to him

"We'll just combine our accounts" Punk shrugged "It slipped my mind"

"No it's ok" AJ smiled "You keep your money"

"Our money" Punk corrected "And I should have discussed it with you but believe me there's plenty of money in my account to pay for that." He said to her then pulled out his phone "Here" he said typing something in and passing her his phone

"It's not my business" AJ said

"Take it and look" Punk insisted and AJ took the phone and looked at his bank account statement

"Holy crap" She said as her jaw dropped slightly "This is real?" she asked looking up at him

"Yea" He smirked "We'll go to the bank right now and have your name put on my account"

"I don't want to spend your money I make more than enough" AJ said to him

"How much do I pay you?" Punk asked her

"You really don't even know?" she asked smirking

"No" He said to her

"Pay more attention to payroll" she said to him

"Doesn't matter" Punk said to her "I meant to do this right after we got married but I got preoccupied" he said to her "I'll take care of it"

"It's not about me being on your bank account which again I don't need" AJ said to him "It's about paying off your exes drug dealer" AJ said to him "She's always going to come to you to bail her out if you keep this up"

"I told her this was it" Punk said to her

"But it's not" she said shaking her head "If she showed up the same exact way she did last night right now you'd do the same thing because you're a good man and I wouldn't expect anything less from you. It just makes me feel weird"

"I don't want that" Punk said to her "I'm not used to being in a relationship let alone married" he sighed "I have to learn that I can't just do whatever I want that's not just about me. I'll work on it. The last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable"

"Did you kiss her?" AJ asked changing the subject

"No" he chuckled "I didn't touch her"

"Ok" AJ said seemingly satisfied with his answer

"What did you do today?" Punk asked

"Dean and Mia went to the storage unit with me" AJ told him

"I would have gone with you" Punk said to her

"It's fine" AJ said to him "I think you were right about Jeff and Celeste and I spoke to Steve about it today"

"Good" Punk said to her "How do you feel about that?"

"I just can't imagine Celeste being with him" AJ admitted "But again she knew I had moved on and was happy with you, which is why I don't understand why she didn't tell me about Jeff"

"What was so great about this guy anyway?" Punk asked almost bitterly

"What was so great about Amy?" AJ shot back

"I wasn't in love with Amy" Punk told her "I was in lust with her- totally different"

"Jeff took care of me" AJ said to him "Something I had never had before. And love is a little strong of a word. I think it was lust too"

"Must have been special, still have that tattoo" Punk pointed out

"I really have to get it removed" AJ said touching the back of her neck

"No pressure" He forced out "Maybe we can cover it up" he said pushing her hair aside to look at it "You can come with me Thursday to the tattoo parlor"

"Why are you going?" she asked

"I'm getting something for you" he said to her

"Really?" she asked surprised

"Yea of course" Punk said to her

"What are you getting?" she asked

"It's a surprise" he teased "Come on let's go" he said standing up straight

"Where are we going?" she asked reluctantly

"To do husband and wife things" he said to her "We're going to the bank first, then food shopping, then I'm taking you out to a fancy dinner and afterwards I'm taking you home and removing your clothes with my teeth"

"That sounds fun" she grinned

* * *

Later that night Punk was passed out next to AJ on the couch, their naked bodies were curled together and just a throw blanket covering them. His phone started to go off and he would have ignored it but he saw Dean's name appear on the screen and he was in charge of SXS tonight. He reached over AJ and onto the table and answered.

"Yea" Punk muttered into the phone

"I need you at the club" Dean said to him then hung up.

"Dean?" Punk asked not fully awake

"What's wrong?" AJ asked slowly opening her eyes.

"Something is wrong with Dean" Punk said calling him back but he didn't answer "Now his phone is off"

"You should go" AJ said to him

"Yea" Punk said seeing it was already almost two

"I'll come with you" AJ offered as Punk carefully crawled over her to get off the couch

"No you stay" he said grabbing his boxers and shorts "I won't be long"

"Ok" she yawned curling into the couch and pulling the blanket up. "I hope everything is ok"

"I'm sure it's fine" Punk said and leaned over to leave a kiss on the top of her head "Don't open the door for anyone" he reminded her

"I think I'll manage" she smiled as she closed her eyes

AJ's eyes opened again at the sound of knocking at the door and her head shot up when she realized it was morning. She wrapped the blanket around her naked body and walked over to the door and peered thru the peephole to see Devon outside. She tightened the blanket around herself and opened the door.

"Devon" She yawned "Is something wrong?"

"Get dressed" Devon said walking right into the house

"What happened?" She asked him

"Punk is in the hospital" Devon told her "And it's really bad"

AJ's entire face fell and she was pretty sure her heart stopped beating.


	32. By Your Side

**By Your Side**

* * *

AJ was sitting at Punk's bedside and he hadn't woken up yet. The doctors said he took a hard hit to his head but from the looks of his face he took a lot of hard hits. He had a black eye, a busted lip, a line around his neck that looked as if a rope was tightened around it and the doctors said he had busted ribs as well. As soon as AJ arrived at the hospital she hadn't left his side for a moment and held his hand wishing for him to wake up. The longer he was out the worse it could be.

"What happened?" AJ asked looking back tearfully at Devon

"I don't know" Devon admitted "I got a call from Mia saying the police called her because Dean, Roman and Punk were all found in the club beaten down"

"His poor face" she choked holding back a sob

"He's strong" Devon said placing a hand on her shoulder

"He looks pale" AJ frowned "Where are his doctors?" she asked Devon

"They're talking to my dad and mom" Devon said to her "Don't worry"

"I should have went with him last night" AJ said looking at her hurt husband

"You knew he was going to the club?" Devon asked

"Yea Dean called him last night and told him to come to the club" AJ said to him "I wanted to go with him but he told me no"

"That was for the best" Devon said to her

"They don't know who could have done this?" AJ asked him

"No" Devon said to her

"He went to Milwaukee and got into it with my dad and brother" AJ told him

"I'll tell Steve" Devon said to him "Can you think of anything else?"

"Hi" a female voice interrupted, AJ narrowed her eyes at the red head. "I heard what happened" Amy said to them "I just wanted to check in on him"

"Uh" Devon said uncomfortably

"You" AJ hissed jumping out of her seat "You did this!" She yelled pointing at her then pushed her out of Punk's room

"What are you talking about?" Amy asked

"You came to see him and you were all beaten up- you begged him to pay off your debt to your dealer!" AJ yelled "It's awfully coincidental that he ends up in the hospital later that same night!"

"Wait, what?" Devon asked the two as he followed them into the hallway

"Punk agreed to help me because he cares about me!" Amy defended

"He took pity on you, don't confuse it" AJ spat "And now he's lying in hospital bed because he was too good of man to tell you what you needed to hear! You're a druggie, you're not good enough to even be in the same room as him! You're trash!"

"You better watch your mouth" Amy warned stepping right into AJ's face

"Amy maybe you should head out" Devon said trying to stand in-between the two

"I'm not going anywhere" Amy said to him "I've known Punk a hell of a lot longer than she has" she said pointing at AJ "It's me that should be at his bed side"

"You should be in rehab!" AJ yelled back

"You don't know me little girl" Amy hissed as the two were nose to nose now "We all know you're only with Punk was for his bank account so why-" she didn't finish her sentence because AJ slapped Amy hard across the face "Oh it's on" Amy laughed holding her lip and lunged at AJ.

"Enough!" Devon yelled trying to break the two apart

"Get off of her!" Mia yelled pulling at Amy's arm

"Mia" Amy said surprised. She hadn't seen Amy since the night she walked in on Seth and Amy in bed.

"Get out of here Amy" Mia said walking over to AJ and placing her arm around her "You're not welcome or wanted here"

"I had to see him" Amy said quietly

"Go" Devon said agreeing with his sister

"Tell him I was asking for him" Amy said to them then left

"Are you ok?" Mia asked AJ

"Yea I'm ok" AJ said rubbing her cheek "I hit her harder. How's Dean?"

"He's awake but he doesn't really remember what happened last night" Mia said to her "I was just coming to check on Punk"

"He looks really bad" AJ cried lightly

"Come on" Mia said leading AJ back into Punk's room. "The doctors think he'll be up soon, it's just a matter of time"

"Who did this? How could this happen?" AJ asked her sister-in-law

"I don't know but I know we'll find out" Mia assured her

* * *

Punk's head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds and opening his eyes were a real struggle but he managed to get them barely open. He was already nauseous and the sunlight shinning into the room was hurting his head.

"AJ" his voice was raspy and weak but he could be heard

"Hey" a male voice said and Punk couldn't make out his face but he knew the voice, Devon

"AJ" Punk repeated

"Just relax I'll call the doctor" Devon said placing his hand on his arm but Punk used what ever strength he had to wrap his hand around Devon's wrist

"AJ" He said for the third time

"She's here" Devon assured him and Punk closed his eyes with relief "She's been here for forty-eight hours waiting for you to wake up, mom dragged her to the cafeteria for real food. I'll call the doctor and then AJ" he told Punk and he just nodded slowly.

"He's up?" Punk's eyes shot open at the sound of her voice and she soon appeared looming over him "Hi baby" she smiled and he was only strong enough to give her half a smile

"Stay" he said trying to grab her hand, she grabbed his instead

"I am" she promised "I'm not going anywhere" she said kissing his hand gently

"I need a minute with him" the doctor said but Punk wouldn't let go of her hand

"I've got her" Devon said to him with a smile "Don't worry" with Devon's promise Punk reluctantly let go of AJ's hand.

"He's really awake?" Jennifer asked walking to the room as AJ and Devon stepped outside

"Yes he just woke up" AJ said with a smile as Jennifer hugged her

"The doctors are in with him now" Devon told them

"Did he say anything?" Jennifer asked anxiously holding onto AJ's hand

"He just kept asking for AJ" Devon said to her

"I don't know if I'm just so happy he's awake or I'm just so tired but I can't stop crying" She said wiping her eyes

"It's both" Jennifer smiled "I'm going to call Elliot" she said to them

"I'm going to wait for the doctor" AJ told her and she nodded

"He seemed ok, right?" AJ asked Devon

"Yea I mean he didn't say much but he clearly doesn't have memory problems" He smirked "Maybe unlike Dean and Roman he'll actually remember something"

"He took the worst of it" AJ said almost bitterly "Dean and Roman were released yesterday"

"It'll probably take Punk a few more days" Devon said to her "But this is a great sign"

"It's going to be a while before he can work-" AJ started

"Don't even worry about that" Devon said to her "Worry about him getting him back to his wiseass self"

A half hour later the doctors told AJ that there didn't seem to be any serious damage to his head but he really had to take it easy and would be in the hospital until further notice.

"Are you hungry?" she asked him and he shook his head 'no'. He still wasn't talking much but he had a line around his throat so his vocal chords could have been damaged. "Thirsty?" she asked hopefully and he nodded. She reached over to grab the pitcher of water and poured into a cup with a straw and led it to his face. He took a few painful looking sips and was done. "I was so worried about you" she said brushing his hair out of his face. "Don't scare me like that again"

AJ watched as even breathing seemed painful to him. She knew he had fractured ribs so it probably was painful for him. He kept nodding off and AJ stayed faithfully by his side.

"Do you remember who did this?" AJ asked him and he shook his head 'no'. "You, Dean and Roman all are saying the same thing" she said to him but he didn't even look at her "That's weird" she knew he was lying but he was also barely able to talk to she wasn't going to push it.

"Sleep" Punk said looking over to her

"You're tired?" she asked

"No you" he rasped out "You sleep" AJ hadn't even looked in a mirror in a mirror the last two days but she was sure she looked a mess.

"I'm too excited to sleep" AJ said with a faint smile "I love you so much and you scared me so badly" she admitted "This has easily been the worst two days of my life and believe me I've had shitty days" she said seriously. "You know this you just sitting there listening to me is something I could get used to" she teased and he shot her half a smirk "Amy was here" AJ told him and he seemed surprised and concerned "I hit her" she admitted and Punk closed his eyes "She hit me back" she defended "But don't worry I let her leave with all of her teeth" she said to him and he tried to laugh but it hurt too much "I think she had something to do with this, her dealers came after you for more money" she said to him and Punk shook his head 'no'

"So you do know who did this to you" AJ said to him but he didn't move or make a sound "You have to tell the police" he just pointed to his throat and shrugged.

"Ok" AJ said to him "I'll just go to the club later tonight and I'll talk to everyone there and see if I can figure out who did this myself" she said to him and his eyes widened "I mean if none of you remember someone else there has to or maybe I'll drive over to Tonic and ask Seth about it and if he doesn't have any real answers I'll drive all the way to Milwaukee and speak to the people I think are really responsible-"

"Stop" he said to her "Leave it" he warned

"I'm not going to let whoever did this to you get away with it" AJ said to him

"Stay out of it" he coughed and held his throat "No Seth, no Milwaukee" he warned her giving her a look that was ice cold

"You can't really do much about it" AJ said stubbornly folding her arms

"This isn't a joke" he said loudly now and a machine began to beep

"Phil what's wrong?" she asked jumping out of her seat

"It's fine" he coughed as a nurse came in

"You need to take it easy" the nurse scolded turning off the machine "Do you need more pain medicine"

"No" Punk said annoyed rubbing his throat.

"No talking" She scolded "He needs rest" she said to AJ "Maybe you should go home and rest"

"She stays" Punk said to the nurse. Punk did have some pull, he was in a private room and had very good care, which he was sure had something to do with Elliot and Jennifer being such big donators to the hospital.

"I'm sorry" she said to him as the nurse left "I didn't want to upset you I'm just trying to help"

"Help me by not doing anything stupid" he whispered since his throat was still killing him

"I'm scared for you" AJ admitted

"If you want me to get better you'll stay out of this and keep my heart rate down" he rasped.

"Ok just stop talking" she frowned "It's killing you I can see it. I'll be good and obedient" she mocked lightly

"Thank you" he said seriously

"No more talking" she warned and grabbed the cup so he could have more to drink.

* * *

The next day AJ was still as Punk's bedside and just watched as he slept. The poor man was exhausted and so was AJ but she wasn't ready to leave his side yet. She was going to be there for him just as he had been there for her.

"Go home" she heard his voice and it sounded much better today.

"I thought you told me to stay" AJ smirked as he opened his eyes to look at her

"Yes but I trust you're not going to run off on me" Punk said to her

"I'm not going anywhere" AJ said to him "I'll go home when you can" she said grabbing his hand

"You smell" Punk said to her "It woke me up"

"Liar" she laughed causing him to smile

"And I want fresh clothes" Punk said to her "You can bring me back some"

"Mia already brought us both clothes" AJ said to him "I just didn't want to leave to get changed in case you woke up"

"I'm feeling better today" he said moving slightly

"You're not leaving this hospital until you're a hundred percent" AJ warned him

"How are Dean and Roman?" Punk asked her realizing he hadn't asked yet

"They were released a few days ago" AJ told him "They didn't get the beating you got"

"Good" Punk said simply

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" AJ asked him "I thought we had a full disclosure thing going?"

"We do" Punk said looking at her "Just some things are better left unsaid"

"I won't tell" AJ promised "You trust me right?" she asked with a hopeful face that could have literally melted his heart

"Yea of course" He said to her "It was Seth" he told her

"I had a feeling" she said "Payback for what you did to him a few weeks back?"

"Yea" Punk said to her "Him and a few of his best guys. They cheap shot" he said seriously "And there were way more of them then there were of us"

"I didn't think it was a fair fight" AJ said sadly "They almost killed you"

"If they wanted to they would have" Punk said to her "You can't tell anyone not Elliot, Mia, Austin- no one"

"I won't" she promised "But why? Don't you want them to get into trouble?"

"We don't snitch AJ" Punk said to her

"Sounds very mafia like" AJ mumbled

"It's not it's just smart" Punk said to her "I have stuff on Seth, he has stuff on me- it's best the police and our families stay out of it"

"Is it over now?" AJ asked him "An eye for an eye?"

"We'll see" He said trying to make her feel better.

"What can I do to help?" she asked

"You can go home and get real good nights sleep" Punk said to her "You seriously look like you've been awake for days"

"I have" She said with a weak smile "I've napped though"

"It's not good enough" Punk said to her

"Let me worry about me and you for the time being" she said to him "Can I get you anything?"

"A kiss" He said simply

"I don't think I can do that" She said to him "Anything else?"

"Just one" Punk said to her "I can't remember going this long without your lips touching mine" he said to her "They're ok" he said then taped his lips with his index finger "Just one quick kiss" he insisted.

AJ stood up and leaned over him and placed a very soft kiss to his lips and pulled away.

"Thank you" He smiled "I feel a hundred percent better" he said happily

"I wish I had that power" She said to him

"When you go home- which you will do because if you don't I will have you forcibly removed from here could you bring me back some of your journals?" he asked her

"Why?" she asked him

"If I'm going to be here for a little bit I'm going to have to keep preoccupied" he said to her

"Ok" she said to him "Anything else you want?"

"My laptop, my DS, a toothbrush…" He rambled off

"The doctor said a couple of days not weeks" she teased

"I'm high maintenance" he admitted openly

"Even when you do get released you're not going back to work" AJ warned "I can run the clubs"

"I don't like the idea of that" Punk said to her "I don't want you at the club by yourself especially if Dean and Roman aren't there"

"Then who is going to work?" AJ asked

"Devon" Punk said to her "I don't care if Seth beats him up"

"Seth isn't going to beat me up" She smirked "Besides I'd kick his ass"

"I'm sure you could" Punk smirked

"I'll be fine he won't be back" she said to him "And you don't have to worry about me, you worry about getting better and I'll take care of everything"

* * *

A week into Punk being home AJ wasn't sure how he did it. Usually when he left her in charge for a night he didn't give her anything to do but running the club wasn't as easy as Punk made it appear. She was working super late and she hated being away from Punk all of that time but thankfully Jennifer had been checking in and staying with him while AJ worked. Punk was convinced he was ready to get back to work but he still needed help getting changed and showering, a job AJ had no problems helping with.

"AJ?" Nikki asked walking into her office

"Yea" AJ said looking up

"Someone is asking for you" Nikki said to her

"I am so swamped" AJ said looking at the mess on her desk

"It's some guy who said he's a friend of yours, Jeff something" she told AJ and her eyes widened

"He's here, right now?" AJ asked almost nervously

"Yea" Nikki nodded.

"Um yea send him in" AJ said and as soon as Nikki walked out of the office AJ opened the top drawer where she knew Punk hid his knife and slipped into her pocket.

"Hey" Jeff said walking in and closing the door behind him "Nice club" AJ just nodded "I think you know why I'm here" he said taking a seat across from her desk. "Is there something you'd like to ask me?"

"I'm sorry-" she started

"Sorry that you told the police you think I killed Celeste or sorry for believing it at all?" Jeff asked cutting her off

"I didn't say I thought you killed her" AJ defended

"You're nervous" Jeff said noting her body language "And not in the cute way you used to get whenever you used to see me"

"Why are you here?" AJ asked him

"I wanted you to know that the police cleared me" Jeff said to her "I was performing in front of about three hundred people and was at the club I was working until early morning"

"Good" AJ said to him

"Why would you give my name AJ?" Jeff asked "Did I do something to upset you? Is this because you were upset about us ending the way we did?"

"No" AJ said to him quickly "This wasn't payback Jeff, the police wanted to know who Celeste and I shared in common and you were one of those people"

"They accused me of having an affair with her" Jeff told her "My girlfriend is devastated. Celeste was like my sister you know this" he said growing upset

"I know" AJ said to him

"I can't help but feel like you did this because you're pissed at me" Jeff said to her

"No I'm not pissed" AJ said to him

"That night with you was a mistake" Jeff said to her "I never should have slept with you"

"So why did you?" AJ asked

"I felt bad for you" Jeff said to her "I thought you were a good kid who needed at least one good night but if I had known you would have never gotten over it I wouldn't have slept with you. I wish I could go back in time and change it but I can't and it's cost me greatly"

"I didn't do this for this payback!" AJ yelled

"You did it for some reason!" Jeff yelled back "Celeste really cared about you so she didn't mind you tagging along but no one wanted you around but her, not even me"

"You're just trying to hurt me" AJ said to him

"No AJ I'm being honest with you because you've been shielded from honesty you're entire life" Jeff said to her "I'm not treating you with kid gloves anymore. You were always immature, you always wanted attention and when you didn't get you acted out and clearly that hasn't changed"

"I think you should go" AJ said to him "I have a club to run"

"Don't act hurt AJ you did this to me" Jeff reminded her "You set this in motion, I waited to speak to you out of respect for what happened to your husband but I needed to get this off my chest"

"You smell" AJ said to him

"That's the best you got?" Jeff asked with a laugh

"Like weed Jeff" AJ said to him "And you have booze on your breath I can smell it all the way from over here. And I know you when you're using you act out"

"I'm not lying AJ this is how I feel" Jeff said to her "You followed me around like a little puppy dog and my last gift to you was that night"

"It wasn't that great" AJ said to him

"You still have that tattoo don't you?" Jeff asked her

"So do you" AJ pointed out

"The tattoo of the date didn't have anything to do with you AJ. It was my goodbye gift to Celeste" Jeff said to her "I'm sorry you ever thought otherwise" he then stood up "Stay out of my life and stop causing my problems" he then walked out of her office

AJ wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or scream. She wasn't in love with Jeff, she loved Punk and she realized from being with Punk that she never loved anyone but him but his words did sting her even if he wasn't in his right state of mind. But she also felt he had every right to be upset, he lost a woman he considered to be his sister, she then accused him of being a killer and could have ruined his new relationship. All AJ knew whatever she felt she had to get over it before she got him. She was working hard to make sure Punk remained stress free and happy and she was going to keep it that way. She sucked up whatever she was feeling and stood up from her desk because she knew the best medicine for her was to see her husbands face and curl up with him.

* * *

When AJ got home Punk was laying on the couch watching TV.

"You're home early" Punk noted "Everything ok?"

"Yes I just missed you" she admitted kicking off her shoes and removing her jacket.

"Come lay with me" he said to her

"No" AJ said to him "You'll get hurt"

"This is ridiculous" he said to her "I need to feel you next to me, you've also been sleeping on the couch every night"

"I don't want to roll over and hurt you" AJ said seriously

"You weigh ten pounds I'll survive it" he said annoyed

"I weigh more than that" she said and he waved her over

"You're upset I can see it written all over your gorgeous face" Punk said to her "You can either stand there and let me annoy you into telling me or you can lay here with me and just let me hold you" he said to her "The choice is yours"

"Ok" she said carefully getting onto the couch and laid so her back was against his chest gently. His arm fell over her waist and he nuzzled his face in her hair

"I've missed this" he said to her

"Me too" She admitted. She was feeling at peace for the first time in two weeks.

"You know I'm going to annoy you anyway right?" Punk asked "Full disclosure, remember?"

"Yea but can we talk about it tomorrow?" She asked hopefully

"Yea I can do that" Punk said to her and kissed her head causing her to smile. "Thank you by the way"

"For what?" AJ asked

"For being superwoman" He said to her "Taking such good care of me, working at both clubs" he said to her "You've been so amazing"

"I just want you better" she told him "I hate seeing you in pain"

"I am so much better" He assured her "And it's because of you, I love you"

"I love you more" she responded with a whisper.


	33. Ghosts

**Ghosts**

* * *

The next day AJ woke up alone on the couch and frowned.

"Phil?" she asked looking around but didn't hear a sound. He shouldn't have been up and moving around so she quickly got off the couch and began her search which ended at the master bathroom.

"You're up early" Punk noted drying his hair from his shower

"You're not supposed to be doing things like this" She scolded grabbing the towel from him.

"I really feel much better" Punk said to her "Some pain but I can handle it"

"I'm here to help you" she reminded him

"You've been taking care of me for two weeks now" Punk said to her "I can shower myself besides I don't think I can stand having you shower next to me and not touching you anymore"

"Soon" She said to him

"So what happened last night?" Punk asked her

"What time is your appointment today?" AJ asked referring to his doctors appointment

"12" he said to her "And again what happened?"

"Jeff came to the club" AJ said cleaning up the bathroom "He knew I gave his name to the police"

"They weren't supposed to say that" Punk said to her "What happened?"

"He was mad" AJ said to him as she cleaned around the sink

"AJ" he said grabbing her arm forcing her to face him "What did he say?"

"Horrible things" AJ admitted "Made me feel terrible and he's not wrong either. The fact that I could even think he was capable of something like that makes me feel terrible"

"You're trying to help Celeste" Punk reminded her "You shouldn't feel terrible for that"

"He said some hurtful things about our night together and the tattoo which by the way I want off more than anything right now" AJ said to him

"He was just trying to make you feel bad" Punk said to her "Don't take it personally"

"It was very personal and the worst part is everything he said I knew was true it just stings to hear out loud" AJ told him "I feel stupid"

"Don't feel stupid" Punk said to her "Besides you were still a kid back then and Jeff should have known better" He said to her "We've all done stupid things or crushed on people we shouldn't have."

"Yea" AJ said quietly "But after seeing him it just made me realize that Celeste's case has gone completely cold and I need to keep digging"

"No digging, just thinking" Punk corrected "You're not the police" He reminded her

"I know but I really can't think of anyone here in Chicago so I think I'm going to go to Jersey for a few days" she said to him "Dean is going to be back at work by the end of the week so it will be in good hands"

"You're going to Jersey?" Punk asked slowly

"Yea I mean just to kind of jog my memory, stop by some our old foster places" AJ shrugged "No biggie"

"And when are you doing this?" Punk asked her

"I was thinking Friday and I'll be back Monday" she promised

"I'm going with you" Punk said without hesitation

"No you're not, you're on light duty" she reminded him

"I'm going" Punk said to her again "You're not going to New Jersey by yourself"

"You are aware that I've been on my own since I was six right?" AJ asked amused

"Yea but I've read your journals you said you'd never go back to Jersey, too many bad memories you're not going alone" He said to her "I want to be there for moral support"

"Only if the doctor says you can travel" AJ said to him

"He'll say it" Punk said to her confidently

* * *

Punk was sitting in the doctors office waiting for him to come back while AJ nervously tapped her foot against the chair.

"Would you relax?" Punk asked his wife with a laugh

"I'm nervous" AJ admitted "Your ribs still hurt"

"Yea that takes time" Punk said to her "You haven't even noticed the line around my neck is mostly gone" he said proudly

"What happened that night Phil?" AJ asked him

"I told you, after the club closed they jumped Dean and Roman, had Dean call me to lure me there and beat the shit out of me" Punk shrugged

"More like torture you" AJ noted

"They had fun" Punk said to her "They really enjoyed themselves and I'm glad they did because that's the last time they'll get to me like that again"

"Why were they so rough on you though?" AJ asked "I would have thought Dean being with Mia meant he got the worst beating"

"Well Dean didn't poke Seth with a knife" Punk said then looked over to her "It's done now"

"Why do I feel that's not true?" AJ asked him "I feel like you're just plotting"

"I've been doing nothing but sitting and relaxing the last week" Punk defended "No plotting"

"Uh-huh" AJ mumbled and that's when the doctor walked in

"Phil good to see you" he said shaking Punk's hand "Mrs. Brooks" he said shaking her hand as well

"So how did his tests go?" AJ asked anxiously

"He's healing very well" the doctor told her "Ribs are still bruised but everything else looks great"

"Thank god" AJ sighed happily

"I'm sure it has a lot to do with you" The doctor smiled towards her

"Can you tell her I can shower and dress myself?" Punk asked the doctor

"Even better you can return to work" The doctor told him and Punk smiled proudly

"So soon?" AJ asked him

"He didn't have permanent damage" The doctor told her "And his brain scans show no damage he's all clear. Just take it easy, no working out again yet or anything but I think you can sit behind a desk a few nights a week"

"What about traveling?" Punk asked the doctor

"No skiing or anything" The doctor warned "But yea you can get on a plane if you need to"

"Excellent" Punk said shooting AJ a smug smirk "And the last thing, sex?"

"Oh my god" AJ muttered blushing looking at the floor

"Take it easy on him" The doctor said to AJ with a laugh who just nodded trying not to laugh "I'll see you in a few weeks Punk" he said to him

"Good to go" Punk said to her jumping off of the table "See? Told you I was better"

"Yea, yea" AJ said to him

"So I haven't been to New Jersey in a while I can't wait for you to show me around" He teased

* * *

Landing in New Jersey was nerve wracking for AJ but with Punk at her side she felt better. They headed to the hotel and Punk crashed right onto the bed.

"What's wrong?" AJ asked him "I knew this was too much for you"

"No" Punk said to her "I'm waiting for you. You haven't touched me even after the doctor told you days ago"

"He said to take it easy on you, we're not capable of that" AJ smirked looking at him

"I think we are" Punk said innocently "We'll never know if we don't try. It's too late to go on a tour anyway" he said tapping the bed and beckoning for her.

AJ couldn't but smile at him because she had missed these last few weeks and carefully crawled onto the bed. She laid down on her side so she was facing him and he practically jumped inside of her mouth causing her to laugh lightly. He picked her leg up and tugged it around his waist and rolled her onto her back so he crashed against her.

"Easy" AJ reminded him

"This is easy" He remarked as his tongue ran over her lips then entered her mouth again. AJ urged him deeper into the kiss but was distracted by his want for her that was poking into her thigh.

Punk was clearly very excited and didn't want any foreplay, he wanted to be inside of her as quickly as possible and tried to rip at her clothes but his strength still wasn't a hundred percent.

"Fuck!" he yelled frustrated

"Stop, stop" she said to him easily "You're still not better just relax" she encouraged getting off the bed. He watched as she removed every last drop of her own clothing in front of him. And waited patiently for her to move back over to him. She sat him up and pulled his t-shirt off carefully over his head and tossed it aside. She straddled him as she pushed him back against the mattress and began to kiss around his throat where there was still a faint line then over his chest over every bruise.

Punk wrapped his arms around her but not tight enough so she couldn't move and moved won his body leaving a trail of wet kisses and stopped just short of his the hem of his shorts and moved back up his body.

"Thank you" he whispered against her lips as she nuzzled her nose against his.

"I love you" she whispered and kissed his lips before climbing off of him and pulling down his shorts and boxers. She couldn't resist giving him a hard lick on his shift causing him to moan.

"I need you" he said to her "I need this" he repeated

"Easy" she reminded him and crawled next to him and pulled his arm so his chest was pressed into her back and moved his hand over one of her breasts. She didn't need to hold his hand anymore as he began to cup it and play with it. He pushed into her slightly from behind causing her to cry out slightly, she had missed his touch just as much.

Punk's other hand emerged and now he had both of her breasts in his hands but moved one away and trailed it down her toned body until he reached the apex of her thighs and ran his fingers over the moist area.

"Somebody has missed me" he teased against her shoulder leaving a kiss there

"I could say the same for you" she said shimming her rear into his almost painful erection.

"Enough games" he said moving her leg over his and slid into her easily and fully.

"Oh Phil" she cried as he pushed in and out of her body. "Are you ok?" she asked bending her arm and reaching over so her hand was cupping his face as he took her from behind

"So fucking ok" He assured her and moved both his hands back up to her breasts and began to play with her nipples.

Punk and AJ remained like this for a quit some time until they both needed to release. He moved his hand back down and began to massage her clit to push her into her orgasm at the same exact time as he did. One Punk pulled out of her she rolled over so she was facing him and kissed him again.

"I didn't hurt you right?" she asked

"No" He laughed "You healed me" he said to her "I love you so much" he said looking deeply into her eyes. AJ kissed his chest until he pulled her away and rolled onto her body cupping her face and pushing himself between her legs….

The next morning Punk and AJ stopped at a local diner for breakfast and Punk's attitude had been the best it had been in weeks.

"Why are you so chipper?" AJ asked as she poured syrup on her pancakes

"I got laid" He said triumphantly

"At least you're honest" she giggled

"So did you come here often?" Punk asked looking around the dive diner

"No" AJ smirked "I couldn't really afford to eat a diner often. I do think I came here once and dined &amp; dashed"

"Cute" Punk smirked "So what are we doing today?"

"Well there's a local bar we all used to go I wanted to check out tonight maybe I'll see someone" She shrugged "But that won't be until later so I was thinking we could go see my mom?"

"You mean the cemetery?" He asked

"Yes" She said with a light laugh "I can't imagine anyone has been there since I left all those years ago"

"Of course whatever you want" Punk said to her

"If we do bump into people that may remember me tonight don't let what they say change the way you think about me" She requested

"AJ we all have pasts" Punk reminded her "We've all done stupid shit and nothing on this planet is going to change that I love you"

* * *

Once they arrived at the old, small and seemingly forgotten cemetery AJ held Punk's hand as they wandered through the tall grass that clearly went uncared for.

"I don't even know if I can remember where she is" AJ said feeling slightly embarrassed

"We'll find her" Punk assured her as if it was nothing but he meant it. If he had to mow the grass of the cemetery himself if he would find it.

"I remember she was by that true" she said pointing and Punk lead her over there. It was surprisingly easy to find her since her mother's grave was the only one with trimmed grass and flowers. "That's so weird" she said looking at it oddly "Someone has come to see her"

"Recently" he agreed as he read the small gravestone 'Rachel Mendez'

"Who would come here?" she asked him

"Maybe her family found out she passed away and came to see her" Punk shrugged

"I don't know it's weird though" She said "I used to come here almost everyday for the last 18 years and no one else ever was" she said to him

"I'll talk to the people here and see what I can find out" Punk said to her "Also see what I can do about getting this place cleaned up" he said looking around the place as AJ bent down and placed the flowers in a cup and stood back up.

"I don't pray" she admitted to Punk

"So when you were younger what did you used to do here?" Punk asked her

"I would just talk to her" AJ said to him "Tell her about my day" she then laughed "I mean she never really cared about my day when I was younger but it was nice to think someone was listening"

"She was" Punk said to her "If your mom didn't love you she wouldn't have kept you" he reminded her "She left her family and kept you away from Alberto, she loved you"

"So why did she leave me?" AJ asked him

"Sometimes people get sick" Punk said to her "You don't really know the story so you shouldn't just assume the worse"

"You're right" She agreed

"Anything you want to say?" Punk asked her

"Yea this is Phil" AJ said to the gravestone "He's made me very happy and I love him very much. I'm sorry you've never gotten the chance to meet him because I think you'd like him a lot." He smiled as she spoke to her mother "Also if there is an afterlife and you happen to bump into my friend Celeste just tell her I miss her?" she asked quietly "And tell her I'm working really hard to find out who took her away from me" she then looked over to Punk "I think I'm done" She said simply. Not a single tear or nothing from her and that slightly concerned him but he let it go for now.

"I want to talk to the groundskeeper over there" he said nodding towards the man working a few hundred feet away "Wait here for me" he said to her and she just nodded.

Punk chatted with the groundskeeper who didn't know anything about the person seeing AJ's mom except it was a man. Maybe a brother? He wasn't sure but he kept glancing over to AJ and watched as she picked away some loose weeds and chatted with her mother. Punk also got the name of the number of whoever owned this so he can see to it the place would be properly cleaned and taken care of.

* * *

AJ and Punk arrived at the bar with a small stage at around ten at night.

"See anyone you know?" Punk asked her

"No but the place looks exactly the same" AJ said to him "Oh there's someone I know" she mumbled and turned her head in hopes the person wouldn't see her.

"Oh look at that" Punk smiled bitterly "Jeff Hardy" Jeff was on the stage tuning his guitar

"Don't cause a scene" AJ warned her husband

"Me? Never" He said to her "But it would be rude if I didn't go over and say hello"

"You just got out of the hospital, you don't like the man and you're looking for a fight since you can't get at Seth" AJ pointed out "Leave it be"

"I'm just going to say hello" Punk said giving her a kiss on the cheek "Can you order me a diet pepsi?"

"Ugh Phil" She groaned

"I'll be five minutes" He assured her then walked towards Jeff.

Jeff looked up and saw Punk coming and put down his guitar.

"Hey Punk" Jeff said to him "Glad to see you're feeling better, read about your accident"

"Yea I'm great" Punk said to him

"I'm guessing AJ is here too" Jeff said to him

"Why you looking to make her feel bad again?" Punk asked "I'm not over to start a fight with you- mostly because I'm in no condition to- but I want you to know that it was my idea to give your name to the police" he told him "You shouldn't have taken it out on AJ like that. She practically idolized you"

"I feel bad I really do" Jeff said to him "I didn't want to hurt her and I wasn't thinking clearly. But at least I know why my name was given to the police now."

"I was reading through AJ's old journals and the way she wrote about you and Celeste seemed odd to me" Punk defended

"I never touched Celeste like that" Jeff said honestly "I loved her like she was my own flesh and blood."

"Ok" Punk said to him "But someone killed Celeste and its someone she and AJ shared in common"

"What about him?" Jeff asked nodding towards the entrance and Punk turned and saw a short man with long hair and beard walk into the bar. "I'm sure reading AJ's journals you must have read about Daniel" AJ's first lover, yea Punk skimmed most of those pages to be honest.

"That's him?" Punk asked as they watched the man greet people as he came in.

"Yea and he's a weird guy" Jeff said to him "When AJ was photographed at that fancy fundraiser with you a few months back it made the papers here and Daniel asked me if I had been in touch with her. I told him I only kept in touch with Celeste but they were living together. Gave him Celeste's number and never heard about it again"

"Why is he weird?" Punk asked hoping Daniel wouldn't notice AJ in the bar

"He's been engaged three times in the last seven years and never made it to the alter once, lives in a big home by himself, doesn't work just lives off his parents money" Jeff said to him "I'm sure you know the story of AJ and Daniel?"

"He was sleeping with her when she was staying with his family" Punk said to him "His parents were pissed at AJ and threw her out"

"It wasn't the first time that Daniel had a younger foster sister that he fucked" Jeff informed him "After AJ they took another girl in and the same thing happened and his parents stopped fostering."

"Really" Punk said oddly "She made him sound like this great guy"

"When AJ was sixteen she used to sneak over to mine and Celeste's place and I caught Daniel trying to get thru AJ's window" Jeff told him "I thought it was weird because he was much older then her- I sacred him off and told him not to come around anymore"

"Yet you gave him Celeste's information" Punk pointed out

"AJ's an adult now. I don't have to protect her from him" Jeff reminded him "She has the right to make her choices but when she wasn't even legal she didn't."

AJ had ordered two sodas and looked over and saw Jeff and Punk in a deep conversation, she wondered what they were talking about but a hand on her shoulder pulled her from those thoughts.

"I thought that was you" Daniel smiled

"Oh my god" AJ said not being able to hide her smile as she hugged Daniel as tightly as possibly

"You look amazing" Daniel said pulling away from her to eye her from head to toe "You're so grown up and beautiful"

"Thank you" AJ said blushing "You look so different yourself" She said gesturing to his facial hair.

"You don't think I look good?" he teased

"No of course you always look good" She smiled

"You know I've been trying to reach to you" Daniel said pulling out a bar stool for her and taking the seat next to her

"I had no idea" AJ said to him

"I heard about Celeste" Daniel said to her "I'm very sorry. I know how much you loved her"

"It's kind of why I'm here" AJ admitted "I was hoping I could find some clues about what happened to her"

"Here in New Jersey?" Daniel asked oddly "That's kind of a long shot, no?"

"Apparently not" AJ shrugged "So what have you been up to Daniel?"

"Same old" Daniel shrugged "I heard you got married and you run a club"

"I did get married" AJ said to him "But my husband runs the club I just help out"

"You locked down a Klein" Daniel smirked "That's very impressive"

"I don't look at it that way" AJ said to him

"I'm sure you don't" Daniel said to her "I can't believe how old and grown up you got"

"You think I look old?" she asked with a laugh

"I think you look absolutely stunning and you've aged beautifully" he told her with a smile

"Hello" Punk said walking over to the two

"Phil this is so weird" she said with a laugh "This is Daniel, you remember I told you about him, right?"

"How could I forget?" Punk said with an annoyed laugh. Neither man extended their hand.

"Daniel this is my husband" AJ said proudly and even though she was sitting was able to wrap her arm around him

"You're a very lucky man" Daniel said to him

"I know" Punk said back eyeing the man "AJ, Jeff wanted to have a word with you" he said and she looked over and saw Jeff wave at her

"I don't think that's a good idea" AJ said looking at her husband

"I agree" Daniel said to AJ and Punk shot him a look

"It's not really your business" Punk said coolly to Daniel

"With all due respect Klein it's not yours" Daniel said to him "Jeff isn't a good guy and he used AJ"

"AJ he wants to apologize" Punk said ignoring Daniel and looking at her "It's ok" he promised

"Alright" AJ said taking Punk's word for it.

"Are you coming back?" Daniel asked her

"Of course" she laughed as Punk narrowed his eyes at Daniel

"I won't be long" she said to Punk as she got out of her seat and walked over to him

"You are aware that Jeff has been physical intimate with her right?" Daniel asked Punk

"I'm aware you have been" Punk said to him "She was a hell of a lot younger too"

"I was her first" Daniel said proudly

"You like that sort of thing?" Punk asked folding his arms and leaning against the bar "Did you prey on all of your foster sisters like you did with AJ?"

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear" Daniel said to him

"Why did you try to reach out to AJ a few months back?" Punk asked him "I know you got in touch with Celeste"

"Its personal" Daniel said to him

"If it has to do with AJ it's my business" Punk said to him

"No actually it's not" Daniel said to him "Just because you married her doesn't mean you own her even though from what I hear about the Klein family that seems to be the motto"

"It sounds like you're the one who believes everything you read" Punk retorted

"I've done my homework on you" Daniel said to him

"Why?" Punk asked curiously

"I wanted to know if you were good enough for AJ" Daniel said to him "I don't think you are. You may have money but so do a lot of other people. Other than that I don't know what AJ could see in you"

"You haven't seen or spoken to AJ in ages why the sudden concern?" Punk asked

"I saw her in the paper and it made me remember" Daniel said to him

"Is that why you tried to reach out to her?" Punk asked

"I don't have to discuss this with you" Daniel said to him

"Why don't you go stalk some of your other former foster sister" Punk suggested "AJ isn't your concern anymore. She's in good hands"

"Really? Because I heard you got the living shit kicked out of you" Daniel said to him "I believe the new titled it 'Billionaire beat down'" he laughed "Seems like you have a history of pissing people off. You should be careful though because you might just push the wrong person one day and they won't go as gently on you as Seth Rollins did"

"Excuse me?" Punk asked him. How did Daniel know about Seth?

"Hey" AJ said walking back over to them "You two getting along?"

"Yea wonderful" Daniel said to her "Are you staying to watch him perform?"

"No we're leaving" Punk said him surprising AJ

"Right now?" AJ asked surprised

"Yes right now" Punk said grabbing her hand

"AJ if you leave me your number-" Daniel started but Punk tugged AJ away from him and practically dragged her out of the bar.

"Phil what is wrong with you?" AJ asked jerking away from him

"That guy is a psychopath" Punk said pointing to the bar

"What did he say?" AJ asked

"I'll tell you at the hotel when you're far, far away from here" Punk said walking AJ to their rental.


	34. Burn Baby, Burn

**Burn Baby, Burn**

* * *

Punk booked a flight back to Chicago the very next morning and filled her in on his entire conversation with Daniel. AJ wasn't sure why he was so upset or only called Daniel 'Psychopath'. But she entertained him and agreed to leave New Jersey and Celeste's murder mystery behind them and just let the police handle it. She was fine with that for now at least until Punk was a hundred percent better.

Punk had also decided to go back to work for the first time in almost a month and AJ was relieved since she had to be at the new club tonight since the opening was only two weeks away. But at least she could focus on the new club (which still didn't' have a name) and wouldn't be worried about SXS.

"There you are" Mia said walking into AJ's office

"What's wrong?" AJ asked her

"It's about Seth" Mia said to her

"Seth?" AJ asked "Has he reached out to you or something?"

"You can say that" Mia said pacing back and forth "He came to my office earlier and asked me how my new boyfriend and brother were feeling. He was behind this awful assault on them"

"Mia you need to stay out of it" AJ urged

"AJ do you remember what Punk looked like when you saw him?" Mia asked her "He wants to meet with me"

"No" AJ said to her shooting out of her chair "You can't go down there"

"He said if I go see him this will be all over" Mia said to her "I can't let Dean or Punk get hurt again" she said to her

"You're smarter than this Mia" AJ said to her

"I don't know what else to do?" Mia cried

"Where does he want to meet you?" AJ asked her

"He wants me to meet him at Tonic before they open" Mia said to her "I'm just going to go there and tell him to leave my family alone"

"No I'll go" AJ said to her "You shouldn't get near him not only is it not safe but it's exactly what he wants" she said to her

"I couldn't ask you to do that" Mia said to her

"You didn't ask, I'm offering" AJ said to her "Don't worry I'll straighten this all out"

"I'll go with you" Mia offered

"No it's best you don't" AJ said to her "If Phil finds out you were anywhere near Seth he truly might kill him"

"You're the best" Mia smiled

"But you can do me a favor in return" AJ said to her "Go over to SXS and make sure your brother isn't over working. He's on light duty"

"Of course" Mia said to her

* * *

Punk was in his office with Dean talking over their big payback against Seth.

"I don't know why you won't just let me kill him" Dean hissed "It would be so fucking easy"

"Because killing Seth means he doesn't get to suffer" Punk reminded him "This is going to hurt him a lot more"

"You know what would really hurt him?" Dean asked "My fist in his face!"

"Relax" Punk said to him "Burning his place to the ground is going to hurt him more than anything. He lives for the fucking shit hole"

"Can't we ask Roman to make sure Seth is in there as least?" Dean asked "I'd love to hear him screaming as the flames swallow him whole"

"You're a little sick" Punk said to his friend seriously "Not sure how I feel about you seeing my sister"

"The things he said about your sister is what's making me so enraged!" Dean shouted "Did he hit your head so hard that you really don't remember?"

"I remember" Punk said disgusted as he flashed to the night.

_"Mia calls me every night Ambrose" Seth taunted as Dean was curled up on the floor while his buddies were kicking him "She calls me after you're done with her asking me for me big dic-"_

_"She always told me you came up short" Dean laughed and seemingly enjoying the abuse he was taking. Seth kicked Dean right in the face_

_"Maybe I'll drop by her place after I'm done here" Seth threatened "Trust me she'll be crying out my name by the time I'm finished with her"_

_"Fuck off!" Punk yelled from behind him as he was being held down with a tight rope around his throat_

_"Don't break that rope boys because I'm going to use that on Mrs. Brooks" Seth said to his friends as Punk's mouth bleed on the floor "I'm going over to that million dollar home and AJ will be crying at the end of the night but it won't be from pleasure" he threatened_

_"I'll fucking kill you" Punk threatened_

_"You're on the floor being held like the fucking disgusting animal you are" Seth hissed "You're in no position to make threats. You should have thought twice before you stuck a knife to my throat" he said to him "You should have just let me play around with your wife because you know it's only a matter of time before I do. I'll have her just like I had Amy"_

_"She wouldn't touch you" Punk hissed as the grip around his throat got tighter_

_"She doesn't have to touch me she just has to lay there" Seth said to him "Just like she was that night I was seconds from giving her the best night of her life the shame of it will be she won't even remember it"_

"I remember all of it" Punk said disgusted

"The vile shit he said about AJ" Dean reminded him

"I fucking remember Dean!" Punk yelled "We can't just kill people though. Roman is at the club he'll check it out and make sure no one is there then burn it to the ground"

"I really hate him" Dean said to him "I'm going to return the favor to him and make sure he spends a few nights in the hospital"

"We'll worry about that later" Punk said to him and his phone went off. "It's Roman" he said reading the text "He's at the club and no one is there he's getting started"

"Good" Dean said relieved.

"It's my two favorite guys" Mia smiled walking into the office. She gave Dean a kiss on the lips then gave Punk a hug.

"I thought we were meeting for dinner" Dean said to her

"I skipped work today, I stopped by to see AJ then decided to swing by here" Mia said to them

"Did AJ send you here to spy on me?" Punk asked

"It's possible" Mia teased "She'll be happy to know you're behind your desk and not lifting anything or running around. So what are you two plotting?"

"Excuse me?" Punk asked

"You two are in here with the blinds closed whispering" Mia pointed out

"Punk was talking his trip to Jersey" Dean lied easily

"Oh how was it?" Mia asked him

"Short" Punk said to her "Nothing much to say about it"

"No more clues on Celeste's killer huh?" Mia asked

"Not at the moment" Punk said to her "But I have a feeling the police will find something sooner rather then later"

"Where's Roman?" Mia asked them "I wanted to check in and see how he was doing"

"He's working" Punk said to her

"Not here obviously" Mia noted "And he's not at the new club so I'm assuming he's at Tonic?" she asked almost alarmed

"What's wrong with that?" Dean asked her

"It's just-" she started and looked at the two "Nothing, it's nothing" she said with a smile

"Where you there Mia?" Dean asked her very dangerously

"No!" Mia said loudly "But AJ is there now"

"What?" Punk asked going pale

"Seth called me and told me what he did and asked to me see-" she started

"Mia enough!" Punk yelled standing up "Is AJ there right now?"

"Yea but I'm sure she's fine, what's the big deal?" Mia asked

"Call Roman" Punk said to Dean as he grabbed his car keys and ran out the door

"What's going on?" Mia asked him but Dean was busy trying to get in touch with Roman.

* * *

AJ walked into Tonic using the backdoor since Seth had said he'd leave it open for Mia and because she saw Roman out front and didn't want him reporting back to Punk that she was here.

"Hello?" AJ asked loudly. She saw one single rose on the bar and a note left there. "Mia, meet me downstairs, I'll be there shortly" she read out loud. AJ grabbed the note and rose and tossed it into the garbage as she made her way up the steps.

AJ opened the side door and walked down into what she assumed to be the basement but it was almost like a private smaller club. A small bar, lots of chairs- it was clearly a more exclusive VIP area. There was a small window and a bottle of champagne on ice with two glasses, apparently Seth thought this was the way back to Mia's heart.

Roman walked into Tonic and gave it one more look over to make sure the place was truly empty. He didn't think anyone was inside since he hadn't seen them walk through the entrance that was watching like a hawk and decided now was the time. He poured a gallon of gas around the main dance floor and lit a match and watched it burn. He snuck out the backdoor and was going to wait until the entire place burned to the ground.

Seth looked at the time and groaned as he raced towards his club. He was sure Mia was already there but noticed her car wasn't there. There would be no way she would blow him off. When he walked towards his place he saw smoke pouring out the door.

"What the fuck is this?" Seth asked "Hey!" he yelled to someone walking by "My club is on fire call 911!" he yelled and then unlocked the door but the place was engulfed in flames.

Punk barely stopped the car as he pulled up in front of Tonic and jumped out of the car.

"You did this!" Seth screamed

"I need to get in there" Punk said to him

"Go ahead and have fun burning to death" Seth mocked "You're going to pay for this" he warned Punk

"You asked Mia to meet you here" Punk said grabbing Seth by the collar of his shirt and that's when it hit Seth- Mia could be in there.

"Oh fuck" Seth almost cried

"Mia sent AJ instead!" Punk shouted shaking him

"Oh thank god" Seth sighed but Punk shoved him to the ground

"AJ is in there I can't reach her!" Punk screamed. Dean had also told Punk that he tried calling Roman ten times and couldn't get him either. There is no way Roman could have known AJ was inside.

"I left a note on the bar for Mia to meet me downstairs in the VIP area" Seth told him and Punk let go of him

"Show me" Punk demanded.

"I'm not going in there, I don't give a shit who's in there!" he yelled

"There has to be a window or something! Show me!" Punk screamed and Seth stood up and waved for Punk to follow him around the building.

They couldn't see clearly because the room was covered in smoke so Punk kicked the window open. It was a small window that he was sure he could just fit thru and knew AJ definitely could fit thru but there'd be no way she was tall enough to reach it or get it open.

"Just call out her name" Seth said to him "You don't even know she's in there"

"That's her car" He said pointing to the back alley where his car that AJ took this morning was. "I'm going in there and I'm getting her but I can't get her out by myself" Punk said to him

"Too fucking bad I'm not going in there" Seth said to him

"I just need you to wait here and pull her up" Punk said to him

"You're on your own" Seth said to him "You go into that building you're going to burn with your wife and you both deserve it since you set this place on fire to begin with"

Punk didn't have time to respond he would just think of another way to get AJ out without Seth's help, hopefully the firefighters would be there by the time he got to her. Without giving it a second thought Punk jumped into the club and the room was yet to be engulfed in flames but it wouldn't be long.

"AJ!" He called out "AJ! Call out to me!" Punk yelled trying to wave around the smoke

"Phil!" He heard faintly. He tried to follow her voice

"Keep talking AJ!" He shouted

"I'm in the bathroom!" She yelled and he made his way across the room and found the bathroom and opened the door. "I didn't know where else to go" she said to him

"Jesus" He muttered "Are you hurt?"

"No" she said shaking her head "There's no way out" she told him

"There's a window" Punk said grabbing her hand and practically dragging her over to it.

AJ stopped moving and started to cough. She was down here with the smoke for a long time and it wasn't good for her.

"Here" Punk said taking his hoodie off and rolled it up to cover her mouth and nose then picked her up and carried her towards the window.

"I can't reach that" AJ said to him

"You can if I lift you" he said to her putting her down

"Phil you won't get out" AJ said to him

"Just go out the window" he said kneeling down and lifting her with ease.

"I can't reach it!" She yelled down to it then felt someone's hand around her wrist and pulled her up and out the window. AJ coughed and felt someone tap her back and looked over and saw it was Seth. "Please help him" AJ said to him "You have to pull him up!"

"He almost killed you" Seth said to her "He set my place on fire!"

"Don't let him die!" AJ cried "Please, please I'll do anything just help him!" she sobbed.

AJ ran towards the window and saw Punk was able to get his hands to the window but couldn't pull himself up completely because he was still hurt. AJ reached in and grabbed his wrist and turned to look back at Seth.

"Please! You have to help me!" She cried and saw as the flames started to enter the small area. Seth rolled his eyes and grabbed Punk's other wrist and pulled him thru the window.

"Punk!" Dean yelled running down the alley towards them

"I'm fine" Punk said getting to knees "Are you ok?" he asked AJ

"I'm ok" she cried and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"You all are going to fucking pay for this" Seth warned. AJ pulled away from Punk and walked over to Seth who was fuming and hugged him. Punk and Dean eyed her as if she was crazy, as did Seth but he reluctantly hugged her back.

"Thank you" AJ cried to him.

"That's enough" Punk said pulling AJ away from him.

"You almost killed your wife" Seth said disgusted "I hope it was worth it"

"Why does he keep saying that?" AJ asked Punk

"Who do you think set this fire?" Seth asked her "Payback for his little beat down. I already regret saving your life" he said to Punk.

"Are you all ok?" a firefighter asked making his way towards them.

"She was in the fire" Punk said to him referring to AJ "She needs to be checked on"

"The paramedics are on their way" the firefighter told them. "Come out front and stay away from the flames" he instructed

* * *

AJ was brought to the hospital on Punk's urging to be checked over more fully. But she was given the all clear and was just waiting on her release papers.

"The doctors say you're good" Punk said walking into her room

"Yea" AJ said quietly

"Are you really ok?" he asked her

"I was terrified" AJ said to him "I thought I was going to die. By the time I smelt the smoke I tried to run out but the doorknob was too hot, I couldn't reach the window so I locked myself in the bathroom and turned on the water"

"That was really smart" Punk said to her

"Did you set that fire?" AJ asked him an Punk felt so ashamed that he couldn't even respond to her "I'll take that as a yes" she said looking down at the floor

"I didn't know you'd be there" Punk told her "I swear to god I didn't know"

"It was supposed to be Mia" AJ said to him "And if I didn't go there in her place she would have and no one would have known"

"I know" Punk said mentally kicking himself

"This has to end" AJ said to him

"What does?" he asked hoping that she wasn't referring to their marriage

"This rivalry with Seth" AJ argued "You could have been killed today"

"No you could have been killed" Punk said to her "I'll never forgive myself"

"I'm fine" AJ reminded him

"You shouldn't have went there AJ" Punk said to her "You promised you'd never go there, why did you go in Mia's place?"

"Because I wanted to protect her. She's my family" AJ said to him

"You shouldn't have gone" Punk repeated

"You're mad at me?" AJ asked with a surprised chuckle "I was almost burned to death a few hours ago"

"I know, I know" he said holding his head as he paced "Stupid" he mumbled to himself "Fucking stupid!" he yelled kicking a garbage can across the small room

"Phil" she started walking towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder

"No AJ!" He yelled jerking away from her "I almost killed you tonight" he said seriously

"You didn't you actually pulled me from a burning building which was pretty heroic" she pointed out

"Don't clean it up for me" Punk warned her "If Mia hadn't let it slip you were going there-" he was almost crying and that took AJ back.

"She did and you saved me" she reminded him

"After I almost let you burn to death" Punk shot back

"I'm ok" she reminded him "You're ok- that's it. That's all that matters. The only thing that's scaring me is what Seth is going to say to the police"

"He already spoke to them" Punk said to her "He didn't give me up, but he should have"

"No" AJ said shaking her head "Can we just go home?" she asked him "I need a bath, I have to get this smoke smell off of me"

"You should go home" Punk said to her "Maybe I'll crash at Dean's or Devon's"

"Don't punish me" AJ frowned

"I think you need to think about this" Punk said to her "You should hate me" he said passionately

"I don't think I'm capable of feeling that way towards you ever" AJ said honestly and almost sadly "Just come home with me, take care of me" she said to him

"Alright" he relented and she hugged him tightly "I love you so much" he said to her "I won't hurt you again" he promised

"You didn't hurt me because I don't think you're capable of that" she said using her words from earlier.


	35. Apologize

**A/N: I know I posted alot of chapters today but I probably won't get around to posting the next few days so enjoy these! Thanks for reviewing :)**

* * *

**Apologize**

* * *

The next morning AJ rolled out of bed not wanting to wake Punk up. She couldn't sleep because every time she closed her eyes she was back in the basement of the club, trapped and about to die. She could even still smell the smoke but she didn't want Punk to know she was having a rough time since he was feeling guilty about it herself.

She walked down the stairs and was surprised to see someone sitting on her couch.

"Good morning" Seth Rollins smiled

"How did you get in here?" AJ asked

"I knocked and no one answered" Seth shrugged "And then I just walked in- you should really lock your doors"

"What are you doing here?" AJ asked him

"I'm here to drop of an estimate" Seth said standing up and passing AJ an envelope. "Luckily for Punk the fire didn't spread to upstairs so I don't have to completely demolish the entire place and rebuild"

"You want Punk to pay for the damages?" AJ asked him

"No he is going to pay for them" Seth informed her "Or he can go to prison for arson. Don't worry I'm sure it won't even crack a dent into his bank account"

"Aside from breaking into my home I'm glad you're here" AJ said to him "I wanted to thank you for saving Phil yesterday"

"I just didn't want the police on my ass" Seth said to her

"You're not a bad man" AJ said to him "You obviously have good in you because you could have left both Phil and I to die in the fire yet you pulled me up then Phil"

"Look I didn't come here for some sort of a lecture" Seth said annoyed "I'm a piece of crap and believe me I know that but at least you know now that your dream husband is exactly the same as me"

"You saved my life" AJ reminded him "I won't forget that"

"Try to" Seth said to her

"Why? Are you going to burn one my clubs down now?" AJ asked him

"That's a wonderful idea and I have thought about it" Seth said seriously "But it would draw way too much attention"

"Did you have anything to do with my friends murder?" AJ asked bluntly

"You're still on this? Isn't that case closed?" Seth asked with a laugh but clearly AJ wasn't kidding "No. I'm a piece of shit but obviously as you learned first hand yesterday I'm not a killer."

"Would you cover for one?" AJ asked

"You and your husband seem to think Randy and I are best friends but that's not true" Seth said to her "I had nothing to do with it and I didn't even know of your friend until I heard about what happened to her."

"Ok" AJ had no choice but to accept that response

"If it makes any difference to you I have seen Randy since he's been released and he's a mess" Seth said to her "He's grieving only he doesn't have anyone to lean on because everyone thinks he's a murder even though he's been cleared"

"What are you doing here?" Punk asked coming down the stairs

"Just dropping off your bill" Seth said with a smile "The sooner you pay the sooner I can get started on renovations and I'm hoping it will be all set to go around the time your new club is set to open" AJ passed Punk the envelope and he took it from her and placed it on the table

"You'll get your money" Punk said to him surprising AJ "Get out of my house now"

"Fine" Seth said to him "Oh and don't forget you owe me one" He said to AJ then walked out the door.

"What's he talking about?" Punk asked her

"I don't even know" AJ said to him

"The last thing you need to be is indebted to a man that like" Punk said to her "Don't let him guilt you because he did one decent thing"

"He did two" AJ corrected "He saved both of us"

"We both would have gotten out without him" Punk said to her "I was almost out"

"You're still hurt you couldn't hold yourself up" AJ said to him

"You remember why I'm hurt?" Punk asked her "He fractured three of my ribs"

"I don't want to talk about Seth right now" AJ said to him

"What do you want to talk about?" Punk asked

"You" she said to him "The lengths that you'll go to for 'payback' is scary. It was one thing to put a gun in Alberto's mouth it's another to burn a club to the ground"

"In my defense I warned him at one point in time I would burn his club to the ground" Punk told her honestly and he had, right after he had found out Seth tried to force AJ to drink.

"This isn't a joke Phil" AJ said to him "Someone could have been seriously hurt and if you were responsible for killing someone I know you'd never forgive yourself"

"I did almost kill someone" Punk reminded her

"I'm afraid of you" she admitted and his entire body froze

"I know you almost got hurt last night, I know I have a temper but I would never- ever hurt you" he said to her

"I know that" she sighed "But you're going to get yourself killed or thrown in prison one day. You're not a teen anymore Phil you have to grow up." She scolded and the doorbell rang.

"Leave it" Punk said holding her back from the door "We need to talk about this"

"I have nothing else to say about this" AJ told him simply and walked to the door and opened it to reveal Steve Austin.

"Detective Austin" AJ smiled and let him in

"Hey AJ" he smiled "Punk" he said in a more annoyed voice "How are you feeling?" he asked AJ

"I feel really good" she to him

"Heard you had a scare yesterday" Steve said then glared towards Punk "I'm here to ask you about it"

"I don't know what happened" AJ shrugged "I was downstairs and smelt smoke next thing I know Punk is pulling me out"

"What were you doing there?" Steve asked

"Just a business meeting" she lied

"With your competition?" Steve asked her

"Yea it's healthy" she smiled

"What were you doing there?" Steve asked Punk

"Phil was supposed to be there too" AJ answered for him "But he was running late and thank god for that" she said to him

"That's Seth Rollins exact story" Steve said "Weird"

"What do you want?" Punk asked "You're going to arrest me?"

"No but I should" Steve said to him

"Since when do you investigate arson anyway?" Punk asked

"I'm just taking your wife's statement because I was on my way over anyway" Steve said to him

"Do you have a lead on Celeste?" AJ asked him

"No I'm sorry" Steve frowned "We've hit a dead end"

"So that's it?" AJ asked him "No more trying?"

"I have other cases I have to work on AJ" Steve told her "It's going to be handed over to someone else but unless we get some sort of witness or DNA sample there's nothing else that can be done"

"It's never going to be solved is it?" AJ asked him

"I think it will" Steve said to her "Sometimes with cases like this things pop up out of know where"

"Sounds like you're giving up to me" AJ said to him "Excuse me" she then walked up the stairs and headed into her bedroom

"She's upset" Steve noted

"Can you blame her?" Punk asked him

"No. If I was almost burnt to death less than 24 hours ago I'd be upset too" Steve shot at him "What you did was stupid"

"I didn't do a thing" Punk lied "I'm more concerned with finding Celeste's killer. Didn't you get my message about this Daniel Bryan guy?"

"I did and there's no proof he was even in Chicago or had any connect with Celeste" Steve said to him

"He's a weirdo" Punk said to him

"You have no idea" Steve said to him

"What do you mean?" Punk asked

"It means I pulled his file and he has a record" Steve told him "He kept his ex-girlfriend locked in his closet for three days"

"What?" Punk asked disgusted

"And he was accused of statutory rape" Steve said to him

"And he wasn't arrested for any of these crimes?" Punk asked annoyed

"Both witnesses refused to testify" Steve told him "If he didn't live in New Jersey and I had at least one shred of evidence that he was with Celeste at all I would get a warrant but I don't"

"This guy knows things about me" Punk said to him "He knew about my issues with Seth"

"Maybe he's done his homework because he likes AJ" Steve shrugged

"That's what scares me" Punk said to him "Why the sudden interest in her?"

"She's been in the papers" Steve pointed out "Fundraisers, marriage, new club and now almost being killed in a fire"

"I want to get a restraining order against him for AJ" Punk told him and Steve laughed

"That's not how it works" Steve said with a laugh

"Why? She has one against Randy" Punk pointed out

"There's a history of violence" Steve said to him "Daniel hasn't seen AJ in close to ten years and the last time he saw her he didn't do anything to try to hurt her"

"Something is wrong with him" Punk argued

"You said that about Jeff Hardy" Steve reminded him

"I was wrong ok" Punk said annoyed

"Is AJ in fear of him?" Steve asked

"No but he didn't say weird shit to her he said it to me" Punk argued

"Do you feel threatened by him?" Steve asked him

"He's like four feet tall and has a goat face" Punk said to him "He doesn't scare me"

"Out of my hands" Steve said to him

"You've been helpful" Punk remarked sarcastically

"I've been more than helpful to you" Steve shot back "And I suggest you start groveling to that wife of yours because she sure as hell must love you for lying to my face for you"

* * *

Punk walked into the master bathroom where he heard the shower running and removed his clothes and stepped into the shower behind her.

"I still smell the smoke" she said scrubbing at her arms

"Is that why you didn't sleep?" he asked her grabbing the loofa from her and began to run it more gently over her arms.

"I had bad dreams" She admitted

"You should have woken me" Punk said to her as he moved to her other arm now

"There was no point in both of us suffering" AJ said to him

"I deserve to suffer" Punk said to her

"No you don't" she said to him "You're a good man you just do stupid things"

"I can agree with that" he smirked "I'm going to work on that by the way I promise"

"That's all I ask" she said relieved

"Come here" he said dropping the loofa and pulling her into kiss.

AJ let her body fall to pieces practically at the feel of her husbands wet and toned body touching hers. He was still the most attractive man she had ever seen in her life and sometimes she wondered how she was lucky enough to land him. Punk pushed her against the shower wall and dropped to his knees before her. AJ looked down but all she could see was the top of his head as he licked her lips and now she was wet for a completely different reason.

"Oh" she moaned as she pressed her lower self closer to his mouth to urge him to give her what she really wanted and he did. She felt him spread her lips with his fingers and then his tongue was inside of her. While his tongue made love to her his teeth skimmed all the right areas on the outside.

AJ's fingers dug into his hair and she was almost afraid she was going to rip his hair out of his head but she didn't care and clearly he didn't either. She cried loudly as she came and poured into his mouth that he willingly accepted and devoured. Once she was done she had no energy to move from the wall. She looked down as he nuzzled his face his face in-between her thighs, such a small but intimate act. He kissed her there before kissing up her body. He paid special attention to her breasts before kissing her throat roughly and finally her mouth.

"I love you" he whispered against her lips as he entered her without warning.

"Harder" She encouraged and he moved harder against her causing her body to slide up and down the moist shower wall. "That's it" She said satisfied as her hands clawed at his back.

"You're always so fucking good" He said to her as he moved even harder into her body until she was crying and clenching around him. Punk wasn't there yet and kept pushing into her hot body until he finally came which he did.

"Oh baby" She said happily as he kept her pressed against the wall "That was so-" she stopped talking when she heard him sniffle slightly. "Phil?" she asked pulling his head away from her shoulder to look at him and he was crying, his eyes were red and puffy and he was full on crying. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"I'm so sorry" he said to her, his voice filled with deep regret. "You'll never know how sorry I am"

"It's ok" AJ said to him

"No" he said shaking his head "My heart beats for you, I wake up in the morning because of you and I almost killed you. I broke my vows-"

"Stop this" AJ argued "I wasn't hurt!"

"I can't lose you" he said dropping to his knees again but this time he was on his knees asking for forgiveness. His warms around her waist and his face resting against her stomach. "I love you so much"

"I love you too" She said running her hands through his hair as the hot water hit their bodies "I forgive you"

* * *

After his shower meltdown AJ pulled Punk right into bed and let him hold her, she never felt safer in her entire life then when he wrapped his arms around her. She was finally able to drift off to sleep which was something she desperately needed. When she woke up Punk was still wrapped her around her and she nudged him until he woke up himself.

"Phil" she said to him

"Hmm what?" he asked slowly opening his eyes

"I'm hungry" She said to him. She hadn't eaten in two days and she was starving. He looked over to the time and was surprised they had slept most of the day away.

"Alright" He said sitting up slowly "Want to go out?"

"No can we just order in?" she asked

"Pizza?" he asked and she nodded happily. He kissed the top of her head and got out of the bed.

While Punk ordered the food she walked into her office where she still had a few of Celeste's boxes. The fire wasn't bothering her anymore it was Celeste's killer walking away free that was now troubling her.

"You can't make yourself crazy" Punk said walking into the office

"I can't help it" She said to him "You heard Steve, this case is basically closed"

"Not closed" Punk reminded her "It's just on hold"

"They're not actively investigating it anymore" AJ said to him "It might as well be closed"

"AJ you've had a rough 24 hours why don't you just let it go for the night at least?" Punk suggested

"You mean like the police are?" AJ asked him

"You're not going to find answers in those boxes" Punk said to her

"Maybe I will" She said to him "I just find it so hard to believe that Celeste was seeing someone without me knowing. I mean we lived together"

"Did she mention Daniel ever calling her?" Punk asked

"No" AJ said to him

"Jeff told me he gave Daniel Celeste's number because he wanted to get in touch with you" Punk confided

"Celeste never mentioned it" AJ said to him "I don't understand why after so many years Daniel was interested in talking to me"

"I think it's crazy for any man to have you and not talk to you for so long" Punk said to her honestly

"You must see something in me no one else does" she mumbled taking things out of the box

"I see a beautiful, strong, loving, generous woman" Punk said simply "Why no one would want that is beyond me. I think Daniel may have realized what he lost once he saw you and I in the paper"

"Too bad" She said to him

"You saw him after a long time and you haven't really talked about" Punk pointed out "Did you feel anything?"

"No" she scoffed "I barely recognized him actually. And I didn't talk about him because every time I mentioned him you called him 'goat face' and went on a rant"

"I won't rant" he promised

"I always thought if I saw him again I'd feel something but I really didn't" she said honestly "I have you there's no room in my heart for other men"

"That's good to know" Punk smiled "He looks like a serial killer" he said causing her to laugh lightly

"He never even had facial when I was with him" AJ said to him

"I don't think he brushes his hair either" Punk pointed out

"He's never been anything but respectful to me" AJ said to him "And unlike Jeff he never had any problems with drugs or acting out"

"He has record AJ" Punk told her "He's violent"

"Never was with me" AJ said to him "But of course he was a lot younger than. People change I suppose. You don't have to worry about Daniel anymore though because he's all the way in New Jersey and we're never going back there and we never have to see him again" she assured him

* * *

Daniel Bryan stepped off of the plane with a smile on his face.

"Hello sir welcome to Chicago" A friendly female airport worker greeted.

"Thank you" Daniel smiled to her

"Is this your first time visiting?" she asked

"No, no I've been here a couple of times before" Daniel told her "Thinking about sticking around actually"

"Well enjoy" she smiled

"Oh I will" Daniel said almost arrogantly


	36. Weirdo

**Weirdo**

* * *

AJ and Punk were in their office at SXS the next night but they working on stuff for the new club. Tonight was the kind of peaceful night they needed and everything seemed back to normal for the first time in a long time.

"I hate that, no" AJ said to him

"We need a name and I like April" Punk shrugged

"You're not naming your new club after me" she warned him

"It's technically your club too" Punk reminded her

"How narcissistic would that be?" AJ questioned "Not happening"

"Plenty of people name their clubs or restaurants after themselves" Punk argued

"So name it Punk's" AJ said to him "It is going to be a punk club" she pointed out

"Nah I don't like that" He said simply crumpling up a piece of paper

"I think 'Dean's' has a nice ring to it" Dean smiled walking into their office

"That name sucks" Punk informed him

"You're an asshole" Dean scoffed

"Hey be nice to him" AJ warned "He's still recovery"

"I can tell he's still not a hundred percent because you're both visible and dressed" Dean said seriously

"What do you want?" Punk asked as AJ blushed slightly

"There's a weird guy downstairs" Dean told them

"That's shocking" Punk said stunned "A weirdo hanging around at a club at this time of night" Dean just rolled his eyes "Come bursting in here when the Blackhawks walk in"

"If you would have let me finish the weirdo is bragging about how he knows your wife" Dean said to him

"Me?" AJ asked surprised

"Yea disgusting beard, long messy hair and he kind of has an animal face" Dean described

"Like a goat?" Punk asked

"Yes!" Dean said happily "Exactly!"

"Daniel" Punk and AJ said at the same time

"Want me to throw him out?" Dean asked them

"Yes" "No" Punk and AJ said at the same time again

"You can't just throw him out" AJ said to him

"Sure I can, I own this club" Punk said to her "I have the right to refuse service to anybody I damn well see fit"

"He's just sitting there minding his own business" AJ said to him

"He is" Dean agreed "Like some weirdo lurking in the shadows at the bar"

"I'll take care of it" Punk said standing up

"No you will not" AJ warned "Just leave him be."

"Why? Why is he even here?" Punk asked

"I have no idea but who cares" AJ argued "Do not go down there all pissed off looking for a fight. You are still hurt and he's not doing anything"

"He's pissing me off!" Punk yelled

"How is he pissing you off?" AJ asked him

"He's here!" Punk shouted and Dean snorted a laugh

"Just leave him there" AJ said to Dean

"No kick his creepy ass out" Punk said to him

"Dean" AJ warned

"Oh shit" Dean mumbled

"You work for me" Punk reminded him

"And me, technically" AJ pointed out

"Dean" Punk warned in a low voice

"I'm not going to even go down there and see him" AJ said to him "If you ignore him he'll go away"

"Watch him" Punk said to Dean "Can you do that?"

"Yea I can do that" Dean said

"Do not let him come up here and if he asks AJ is not here" Punk warned him

"Got it" Dean said to him then left the office.

Once Dean was gone Punk walked over to his window where he had a full view of the club below him and bent the blinds to see down and sure enough there was Daniel standing out like a sore thumb.

"Why did he come to Chicago?" Punk asked still looking at the window

"I don't know" AJ said looking over some of the possible names for the new club

"You're not alarmed by this?" Punk asked briefly glancing over to her

"No Phil I'm not" AJ sighed

"Did he mention coming to Chicago?" Punk asked her

"Nope" she said to him

"Has he called you?" Punk questioned

"Not in ten years" AJ mumbled "What about Ultra Violet?"

"Out of anywhere in the world he comes here to your club" Punk said still looking at him

"How does he even know this is my club?" AJ asked him

"He knows an awful lot about you and me for that matter" Punk said to her then walked towards the door.

"No" AJ said jumping out of her seat and blocking his way out of the office "Phil please we've had enough close calls."

"I'm not going to start a fight and even if I did I'm pretty sure I'd kick his ass" Punk said smugly

"He's a trained fighter" AJ told him

"That little guy?" Punk asked stunned

"He used to wrestle" AJ said to him "You'd be surprised how tough he really is and strong"

"Aren't you curious?" Punk asked her

"Yes I am but I'm not going to poke a sleeping lion" AJ said to him "All this shit with Seth, Randy- it's just too much" she argued "I'm tired of fighting with them can't we just leave it?"

"Not when your safety is a concern" Punk said looking down at her

"I'm not at risk" AJ laughed "It's just Daniel"

"I'm sure Celeste thought the same exact thing" Punk argued

"You really think he killed her?" AJ asked "First Randy, Jeff and now Daniel?"

"I wasn't as sure with the other ones as I am with this guy" Punk told her "There's something wrong with that man. He has a violent past"

"Why would he want to hurt me or Celeste?" AJ asked him "It makes no sense. I honestly can't think of any reason as to why he would."

"Maybe he's still in love with you" Punk suggested

"Daniel has never loved me" AJ laughed "And again it's been years so why out of the blue would he decide to come all the way to Chicago and kill my friend?"

"Why out of the blue is he sitting in our club right now?" Punk challenged

"I don't know" AJ sighed "And I really don't care to know."

"Jeff said he saw our picture in the paper" Punk told her "That's why he started asking questions your photo triggered something"

"I wasn't the only one in the photo" AJ reminded him "Maybe it's you"

"Me?" Punk laughed "No I don't think so"

"I don't know Phil you have your fair share of enemies" AJ accused "Maybe you've pissed him off somehow. His family had a big business in Jersey maybe you stepped on his toes somehow"

"I would remember him" Punk said to her "He's got one of the ugliest faces I have ever seen in my life- trust me I wouldn't have forgotten it"

"He didn't always look like that" AJ reminded him "No facial hair, a buz cut"

"You think he's attractive?" Punk asked

"I don't mind facial hair or long hair on a man" she said to him with a smile

"You'd be ok if I grew my beard out like that? And my hair?" he asked

"I don't know how I'd feel about the beard but longer hair I'd like because you know how I like to pull at it during sex" She teased

"Not doing that" Punk said to her "Used to have long messy hair like that and it was horrible"

"Fine" She shrugged "Now go back to your chair and help me pick a name for the club"

"I can't concentrate with him here" Punk said almost childishly

"Why? He's not bothering anyone and I'm right here in front of you" she reminded him "But if you'd like I'll go down and talk to him and find out why he's here"

"Oh yea that's a great idea" Punk said surprising her "Even better it's kind of loud down there, how about you two go outside by yourselves maybe in his rental car and lock the doors? Just make sure you leave a trail of breadcrumbs so I can track you to whatever basement he locks you in"

"You're very dramatic" AJ smirked "Not everyone is bad Phil"

"A majority of people are" Punk said to her "When have I been wrong?"

"Ok really?" AJ laughed "Jeff, Randy-"

"First of all Jeff isn't a saint, Randy is still a shady piece of shit, Seth is a lunatic and please don't get me started on your newfound father and brother" he said holding his hand up. He walked back over to the window and looked down. "Good he's gone"

"Great! Let's get back to work" AJ said to him

"I'm too worked up to work" Punk said taking a seat on the couch and winced slightly

"What's wrong? Is it your ribs?" She asked standing over him.

"I don't know I think it's a cramp" he said holding his side

"Let me see" She insisted getting on her knees and lifting his shirt slightly "Here?" she asked touching a spot

"No a little lower" He said watching her hand move lower.

"Here?" she asked touching below his belly button

"Lower" He said and she looked up at him and shot him an un-amused look

"You're such a perv" She scolded

"What?" He asked with a laugh "It hurts"

"No sex at work" AJ reminded him "And don't fake pain unless it's real"

"It's not full sex" Punk defended "And the pain is real. You're wearing a little red dress"

"You are so bad" AJ said sitting next to him on the couch "We have so much work to do"

"We just need a name" Punk shrugged "Come on" he said grabbing her hands and kissing her cheek "Just a short break" he then began to kiss down her neck and she was losing her resolve.

"Short" AJ warned "Fast" she corrected

"I can do fast" He assured her moving his hand between her legs and up her dress.

"We're never going to get anything done ever are we?" She asked as she closed her eyes enjoying his lips on her neck and his fingers playing with her

"This is the best part about working together" Punk reasoned as he tugged her panties down. He then undid his own pants and looked over to her. "My ribs are still a little sore" he said implying she had to ride him.

"Lazy too" AJ laughed kicking off her heels and moved to straddle him "You get me all hot and bothered and now want me to do all of the work"

"I'm giving you full control" Punk said to her "That's pretty awesome of me."

"Actually you talked me into this so technically you're in control" AJ pointed out "And I think you just lying there and taking it"

"I'd take anything from you" he said deadly serious

"How are your lips?" She teased running her thumb over the bottom one "Can you still kiss me?"

"I think they're ok" Punk said innocently. AJ leaned forward and captured his lips as his arms wrapped around her petite frame and tugged her close to his chest. While tonguing each other like teenagers she felt his shaft grow incredibly hard.

"I can't believe how easy it is to get you turned on" she teased

"Honey I've said it before and I'll say it again- all you have to do is look at me" He said seriously. AJ smiled and then lifted herself over him and teased him briefly before dropping down his shaft with ease. Before continuing to move AJ kissed him one more time then pulled away and placed her hands on his shoulders and used the leverage to lift herself up and down.

"Fuck yes" Punk groaned as his hands moved to her ass and squeezed, pinched and massaged it.

"You're an ass man" She noted

"I love your ass" He agreed "One of the first things I noticed about you, I saw you in the office and you got up to make a copy or something"

"You just wanted my ass" she teased

"I did" Punk admitted "Then I wanted this" he said kissing her left breast over her heart which was easy given how low cut her dress was.

"You have it" She said to him

"I know and I'm going to take such good care of it" He promised. AJ continued to move but Punk needed to speed this up and moved his hand over her clit and massaged it.

"Jesus Phil" she cried "You gotta slow down" she warned but he ignored her until she came.

AJ didn't even get a chance to come down from her high when she felt Punk lift her off of him and drop her onto the couch so she was lying straight across it. Punk grabbed her right leg and hitched it over his shoulder and slid right back into her.

"Your ribs" AJ moaned. She knew he shouldn't be doing this but she was enjoying it too much.

"They're better then new" he said as he pushed into her with full force causing her to scream out in pleasure.

"You tricked me" she managed to choke out

"So fucking worth it" he grunted as he slapped into her body repeatedly.

"Yes" she agreed in a moan happily

Facing the back of the office Punk and AJ wouldn't know if someone walked in and as usual did not lock the door because they just never put much thought into it when they would jump each others bones. The door opened on a crack and the all that could be heard was moans and skin slapping together. Daniel peeked in and smiled as he saw his former girlfriends leg hitched over her husband's shoulder and both were so into what they were doing they had no idea they had an audience. Daniel didn't hang around long though; he slowly crept out of the office and closed the door quietly behind him.

"What are you doing weirdo?" Dean asked Daniel

"What did you just call me?" Daniel asked with a laugh

"This is a VIP lounge you are not a VIP" Dean informed him

"I think I know the owners" Daniel said to him "I was just checking the office"

"I'm sure you don't" Dean smirked grabbing Daniel by the arm and leading him down the stairs

"I'm pretty sure AJ Mendez works here" Daniel said to him

"I don't know an AJ Mendez" Dean shrugged "I know an AJ Brooks"

"That's right" Daniel said to him "Is she in?"

"She's occupied" Dean said walking him to the exit "Also you're being thrown out so it doesn't really matter" he then tossed Daniel out "Have a great night you creepy looking freak" he said with a wave then slammed the door.

Daniel couldn't help but laugh at the mildly funny bouncer and began to walk to his car. Getting tossed out didn't bother him in the slightest. Daniel got into his car and turned on the light and grabbed the file he had there. The file was large but it had nothing to do with AJ, it was all about Punk. He had everything from newspaper clippings, school transcripts and even his adoption papers.

Daniel couldn't believe his luck when he came across the photo of AJ and Punk at the Klein's fundraiser- all of this time trying to find a way in and a girl he used to screw was going to get him his foot in the door. Hopefully AJ would be more corporative then Celeste was.

"Soon big brother" Daniel said looking at Punk's photo then closed the file.

When Daniel heard laughing he looked up but turned off the light in his car and sure enough there was Punk and his wife. Clearly after fooling around at work they were done for the day and decided to head home for the night. He watched as Punk kept an almost protective hand at her lower back as he led her towards his car. Daniel eyed them carefully as Punk opened AJ's door for her and helped her in before walking over to the driver's side and then drove right past him unnoticed. Daniel pulled out of his spot but kept his lights off as he followed the two home. He already knew where Punk was living, he had known for quit some time actually but he was more interested in how Punk lived his life. He parked a house down and watched as Punk repeated the gesture and helped AJ out of the car and walked her into the home. Punk was obsessed with guarding AJ but he had no idea she wasn't the intended victim, he was but he would learn it very soon.


	37. Foot In The Door

**Foot In The Door**

* * *

Two days later AJ was home in her office sorting thru her books. She was putting them all on the shelves that Punk had built for her.

"Sure you don't want any help?" Punk asked leaning in the doorway

"No these need to be put up in particular order" AJ said to him

"I think I know the alphabet" Punk snorted

"It doesn't go alphabetically" AJ laughed "It goes by genre" she said proudly as she placed two more books on her shelf.

"Oh excuse me" he mocked

"You don't mind running the club by yourself tonight, right?" she asked him. She had told him last night she wanted the night to sort thru things and get organized without any distractions.

"No not at all" he said with a shrug "I do mind being considered a 'distraction'"

"You are a distraction" she said to him seriously and he narrowed his eyes at her

"Insulting" Punk spat

"But true" She smirked

"Yea I think I can manage a night all by myself" Punk teased "Unless you want me here to help"

"I'd get three books up before you'd have me on my back" She said to him

"That's not true" he said almost disgusted "I'd let you be on top if you want"

"Enough" she laughed "Go to work, bring home the bacon" she teased

"I'd love it if you stayed home with your feet up while I worked" Punk said to her seriously

"And what would I be doing all day?" AJ asked and he knew he had to answer carefully

"You'd be relaxing because being with me is taxing enough" He said hoping that answer would work

"I do agree with that" AJ said to him "But I like to work"

"Yea I mean you can work until we children" Punk agreed

"And after children? I just stay home and watch them by myself?" AJ asked him

"Well they can't be left alone" Punk reasoned

"So I don't get to work after we have children?" AJ asked

"You can write" Punk pointed out

"It's not my paying profession" AJ said to him

"You do realize if we both decided never to work again we'd be set for life, right?" Punk asked

"I want to bring something to the household" AJ said to him "I don't want to be one of those wives to her rich husband whose just arm candy at fancy events. I want to work and be respected"

"If somebody doesn't respect you-" Punk started

"You'll beat them up?" she finished for him

"Pretty much" Punk nodded

"I can take care of myself thank you very much" she said placing more books on the shelf "And I plan on working after we have children so you're going to have to deal with that too. If you wanted to marry a woman who would be satisfied living off of your money and keeping the house kept while you were at work then you made a huge mistake marrying me" she said to him and he smirked

"Do you have any bad how bad I want you right now?" Punk asked amused and she rolled her eyes.

"Go to work" she laughed walking over to him and giving him a kiss.

"Fine but be warned I'll be miserable" Punk said to her

"You'll manage" she said to him and pushed him out of her office

Punk walked out of the house and into his car. He didn't notice the man parked across the street, he hadn't noticed him the last few days at all. But that didn't surprise Daniel because had never noticed Daniel in his entire life. The only time he acknowledged Daniel was when he was talking to his wife. A man like Punk who was very complicated and private sure knew how to expose his weaknesses easily.

Once Punk drove past Daniel he stepped out of his own car instead of following Punk like he would normally do. Daniel wanted nothing more but to see how his brother lived, getting a peek into his home is something Daniel had dreamt about for years.

Daniel stepped out of his car and walked across the street and hoped Punk hadn't tainted AJ against him yet. He never had any issues with AJ but honestly he hadn't thought about her in years before seeing her in a picture with his blood brother. He had hoped he'd remembered enough about to her to let him in at least for a cup of coffee. He rang the doorbell and bounced on the heels of his feet and waited for her.

"Daniel" AJ said with a polite smile

"Hey AJ" Daniel smiled "I know this is a little random but I'm in town on business and thought we could catch up" AJ eyed him oddly

"Why?" AJ asked folding her arms "You and I never kept in touch and it's a little weird to be honest"

"I don't mean to weird you out AJ" Daniel laughed "

"How did you know where I lived?" she asked

"That I admit I looked up" Daniel said to her "I tried stopping by your club but they said you weren't there"

"I don't think my husband would like it" AJ told him honestly

"He's that jealous?" Daniel smirked

"No he just really doesn't like you for some reason" AJ told him bluntly

"Did you talk poorly about me?" Daniel teased

"No but you said something to him that rubbed him the wrong way in Jersey" AJ told him

"I can't imagine what I could have said" Daniel said to her "But I understand completely. Maybe we can sit up a dinner, the three of us if it makes him feel better"

"Yea I'll run that by him" AJ said to humor him but she already knew that Punk would laugh in her face at that idea. "How long will you be in town for?"

"A couple of more days" Daniel said to her "I hate to ask this but I'm a little far away from my hotel could I just use your bathroom?"

"Yea of course" AJ said unsurely moving aside to let him "It's right down that hall, third door on the right"

"Wow" Daniel said looking around the huge home "Your place is amazing"

"Thanks" AJ said quietly and watched as he headed down the hall. AJ liked to think she knew Daniel pretty well even though she hadn't seen him in so long and he was definitely up to something.

After being in the bathroom for close to ten minutes, snooping thru the medicine cabinet and opening up drawers and just getting a feel for the place he heard AJ knock on the door.

"Is everything ok?" she asked from the other side of the door

"Yea, yea I'll be right out" Daniel said flushing the toilet even though he never used it and then ran the water.

AJ walked back into the living room and jumped slightly when Punk walked inside.

"I forgot my wallet" Punk grumbled annoyed "Do you remember if I left it-" he stopped talking when he looked over and saw Daniel step behind his wife. "What's this?" he asked AJ trying not to blow up.

"I dropped by and asked to catch up with AJ but your wife said no" Daniel laughed

"So you came inside anyway?" Punk asked slowly

"No he just needed to use the bathroom" AJ said to him "He was just leaving"

"Yet he's still here" Punk said not taking his eyes off of Daniel

"I suggested to AJ that maybe the three of us could go out to eat sometime" Daniel told him

"That's not happening" Punk said to him. AJ was watching Daniel carefully as he looked and spoke to her husband.

"I think it's a wonderful idea honey" AJ said overly sweet to Punk

"I don't" Punk said to him "And if he's not out of my house in twenty seconds I'm throwing him out of it"

"Here's my card and the hotel I'm staying at" he said leaving the card on the table "If you change your mind give me a call" he then walked out of the house.

"You just let him in here?" Punk asked stunned "Thank god I forgot my wallet"

"Oh please" AJ said waving it off "But he is up to something"

"Duh" He said slowly "Which is why we don't let him in the house especially if there are no witnesses"

"He seems more interested in you then me" AJ informed him

"I'm his biggest threat" Punk said to her "He wants me out of the way"

"Why would he want you out of the way?" AJ asked with a laugh

"So he could get back with you" Punk said to her "Come on!"

"Look I know when a man is attracted to me" AJ informed him "He didn't look at my breasts once, he didn't check me out, he didn't playfully touch me and he didn't insist on walking behind me so he could look at my ass."

"Wait what?" Punk asked confused

"The point is he's not interested in me" AJ said to him "He's interested in something else and I think it's you"

"Are you saying he was looking at my ass?" Punk asked slowly and she smirked

"No" she said trying not to laugh "I think we should go to dinner with him. He's clearly looking for something let's try to figure out what it is"

"Or we can not" Punk reasoned "And just ignore him"

"Aren't you curious?" AJ asked him

"Yes but I'm going to give you a heads up and let you know that if you insist on a dinner with him I'm not going to be very nice" Punk told her honestly

"Fine" AJ said to him

"He's probably here to find out if we know he killed Celeste" Punk said to her

"Oh jeez this again?" AJ asked "Go to work" she ordered as she passed him his wallet that was on the table

"Are you going to let more strange in here?" Punk asked her

"Just the really strange ones" She replied coolly

"Wonderful" He mumbled "Lock the door after I leave" he said walking to the door.

"Yea, yea" she mocked following him to the door and before he fully stepped outside he gave her one more kiss.

"Lock it" he said pointing to the door.

* * *

Daniel arrived at whatever was left of Tonic a half hour after Punk threw him out of his house and was in search for the owner who he assumed would be there overseeing work on his club and sure enough he was there outside talking to contractors.

"Seth Rollins?" Daniel asked approaching the man

"Who wants to know?" Seth asked defensively

"Me" Daniel smirked "Daniel Bryan" he said extending his hand

"And what do you want?" Seth asked him

"Five minutes of your time" Daniel said to him

"Why?" Seth asked

"I understand you know Phil Brooks" Daniel said to him and Seth looked confused

"Oh you mean Punk?" Seth asked and Daniel asked "Yea I guess you can say I know him. Are you a cop?" he asked him

"No" Daniel laughed

"So who are you?" Seth asked annoyed

"I'm a friend of his wife's" Daniel told him with a smile

"I don't know what you want and I also don't care" Seth informed him "If Punk sent you here as some sort of a spy-"

"I'm not" Daniel said to him "I want to know about your history with him though"

"That's not going to happen either" Seth laughed "Get out of here"

"Is everyone in Chicago rude?" Daniel asked with a grin

"Pretty much" Seth said to him

"Your club is running low funds" Daniel told him and Seth looked over to him "When Punk's new club opens there's a very good chance you'll be out of business"

"How do you know that?" Seth asked him

"I've done my homework" Daniel said to him "I am looking to invest in a club" he passed Seth his business card. "I know Punk is paying for your damages but I'd like to add some more cash into the place, give him a run for his money"

"Why?" Seth asked him "You don't know me and just by looking at you, you don't know the first thing about owning a club. As a matter of fact I'd be willing to bet you've never even been in a club before"

"You're not wrong" Daniel laughed "I just want to bury him" he said in an almost cold voice and Seth smirked

"Anyone ever tell you that you're a weird dude?" Seth asked him

"You'd actually be surprised how often I hear that" Daniel smiled

"So let me ask you" Seth started feeling very intrigued "Why Punk? You say you know his wife are you looking to swoop her away or something?"

"No not at all" Daniel laughed honestly "This is personal"

"Why is it personal?" Seth asked

"Its' not your business" Daniel told him bluntly "Or maybe you all are friends now and you don't want to even give his a club a run for it's money" he shrugged

"What makes you think that?" Seth laughed

"I read in the paper you pulled him and his wife from the fire here" Daniel told him

"I pulled his wife out because I'm not a complete bastard" Seth said to him "And she begged me to pull Punk out. It wasn't because we're old friends now"

"Can't say no to those doe eyes huh?" Daniel asked with a laugh

"She's not ugly" Seth agreed

"Been there, done that" Daniel winked

"And this isn't about her?" Seth asked

"No" Daniel said to him "This is about Punk"

"I don't know you, you kind of freak me out actually" Seth noted "But I'll pass your card to my attorney and he'll set up a meeting with you"

"I've heard a lot about Paul Heyman" Daniel said fondly and now Seth was even more freaked out "I look forward to it"

* * *

Punk was in his office on the phone with Steve Austin.

"No I want him arrested" Punk argued

"I can't arrest a guy for using your bathroom" Steven chuckled "You said your wife invited him in"

"She wasn't thinking clearly" Punk said to him "He was in my home and I did not approve it"

"Your wife lives with you, half is hers if she invited him in she invited him in" Steve said to him simply

"I want a restraining order for my wife against him" Punk informed him

"We've discussed this" Steve said to him "You can't just take out restraining orders against people because you simply don't like them"

"He's a creepy fucking guy!" Punk shouted

"You can't get a restraining order because someone is creepy" Steve said to him "I suggest you speak to your wife and let her know how you feel about this"

"What can you do?" Punk asked him

"If he ever breaks into your home for real, then call me" Steve told him "Until than my hands are tied"

"Great thanks" Punk mumbled then hung up on him

"Hey man" Dean said walking into his office "Someone is here to see you"

"Is it my wife?" Punk asked him

"Nope" Dean said shaking his head

"Is it that goat face prick?" Punk questioned again

"Afraid not" Dean told him

"Not interested then" Punk said simply

"It's Amy" Dean said almost fearfully

"Is she straight or higher than the empire state building?" Punk asked

"She seems ok" Dean shrugged "What do you want me to do?"

"Send her in" Punk said to him

"Mia told me AJ and Amy got into it at the hospital" Dean reminded him

"Yea I remember AJ mentioning that" Punk said to him "I can handle her"

"That's what I'm afraid of" Dean smirked

"Just send her in" Punk shot at him. Dean walked out and a moment later Amy stepped inside.

"Hey" Amy said with a shy smile

"Hello" Punk replied coolly "What can I do for you?"

"Don't be so formal" Amy said taking a seat across from his desk "I wanted to see how you were doing but every time I came here she was here"

"She is my wife" Punk pointed out

"Yea and she viciously assaulted me in the hospital" Amy informed him "How about a thank you for not pressing charges?"

"I think you already know how I'm going to respond that" Punk smirked "What do you need Amy?"

"You think I only come to you when I need something?" Amy laughed

"History indicates it" Punk said to her

"I really wanted to check in on you" Amy said to him "I didn't want you think I didn't care when I heard what happened to you"

"I wouldn't have given it any thought" Punk shrugged

"I wanted you to also know I've been sober for three weeks" Amy told him proudly

"Well I am glad to hear that" Punk said to her

"And it didn't cost you a cent" Amy teased

"Why are you here Amy?" Punk asked leaning back in his chair

"I miss you" she said to him "Is that a crime? We can't be friends because you're married now"

"We were never friends" Punk reminded her

"So what were we?" Amy asked

"We were fuck buddies" Punk told her bluntly

"We were a little more than that" Amy smiled

"No Amy" Punk said to her "I don't understand why out of the blue you're coming around?"

"I've cleaned my life up" Amy told him "Do you remember what you said to me when you ended our relationship? I asked if there was any hope and you said if I cleaned myself up. So here I am"

"And here I am" Punk said to her then held up his left hand "Married" he added

"I don't mind" Amy smiled

"I do" Punk shot at her "But I would love to introduce you to a man named John"

"I know AJ, I know women like her" Amy said to him "You'll get bored"

"I don't agree. She keeps me on my toes" Punk said happily "I am happy you cleaned up your life but there's no going back Amy. I'm very happy"

"Sure you are" Amy said with an added wink and stood up "You know where to find me" she then walked out of his office

* * *

AJ was in her home still unpacking when her cell phone went off.

"Hey Shawn" she said happily to her PI

"Hey kid. How are you holding up?" he questioned

"Good" AJ told him

"I read about the fire" Shawn said to her "I tried reaching out"

"I know I got your message it was very kind" AJ said to him

"So what can I do for you AJ?" Shawn asked

"I need to hire you again" AJ said to him

"I hope we're not looking into more of your family" Shawn warned

"No" AJ said to him "Never again"

"Good, so what can I do for you?" Shawn asked

"Daniel Bryan" AJ told him

"Why is that name familiar?" Shawn asked more himself

"He was my boyfriend in Jersey when I was fifteen" AJ reminded him

"Oh that's right" Shawn said to her "So you want to look him up or something?"

"No I want to know why he's looking into my husband" AJ told him

"He's giving Punk a hard time?" Shawn asked surprised "That's pretty ballsy"

"Not yet he isn't" AJ said to him "But he's sniffing around him and I'm just curious to see if they had ever crossed each others paths in past without remembering it"

"Yea I'll do some digging and call you" Shawn told her

"Thank you Shawn" she said happily

"Who are we investigating now?" Punk asked causing AJ to scream out

"You scared me" AJ said placing her hand over her beating heart "You're home early"

"It was quiet tonight" Punk shrugged "So again, who are you investigating?"

"Daniel" AJ said to him

"No" Punk said shaking his head "Call him back and tell him to forget it"

"Why?" AJ asked "I want to know what he wants with you"

"He wants you" Punk laughed "Why waste money to tell you that?"

"I already told you it's not that" AJ said to him "Besides he's already had me" she shrugged and Punk cringed

"Don't remind him" Punk warned her

"Why?" AJ asked "I married you"

"I don't want to think about that creepy fucker touching you" he said disgusted then walked over to her and picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder

"Phil" she laughed "What are you doing?" she asked as he carried her into their bedroom

"Getting that filthy image out of my head" Punk said dropping her on the bed and then removed his shirt while AJ eyed him with lust and want….

* * *

Daniel Bryan opened his hotel room door when he heard a knock and revealed Paul Heyman standing there.

"Well" Paul smiled walking inside "You are the last person I ever thought I'd see"

"Do I know you?" Daniel asked amused

"Not personally" Paul said to him "But when my client Mr. Rollins told me that a weird looking man he was sure came fresh from a cave was looking to do business with him I said 'wow he's finally come back'"

"You know who I am?" Daniel asked him

"I know you're Punk's brother" Paul said to him "I've known that for a very long time actually"

"And you never clued Punk in?" Daniel asked

"Punk was never interested in learning about his true parents history" Paul said to him

"Does he know I exist?" Daniel asked

"He was three when you were born" Paul reminded him "They kept you for what? A year then sent you away because they couldn't afford to take care of you and your brother. He doesn't remember you"

"And you never thought to mention to him that he had a brother?" Daniel asked

"He would never consider you his brother" Paul laughed "He's a Klein thru and thru. I don't understand why you're so bitter though" he admitted

"You want to know why I was literally given away so my brother could have a better life bothers me?" Daniel questioned

"He didn't have a great life with your parents" Paul pointed out "They were drunks, losers"

"And then he hit the jackpot" Daniel said to him

"You didn't end up so bad" Paul said to him "You were raised well"

"Any two people willing to pay for a child rather than legally adopt are shady" Daniel said to him "I've been struggling my entire life"

"I've checked up on you" Paul said to him "You have a few screws loose but nothing so horrible. I mean locking your girlfriend up in a closet is a little freaky"

"My parents used to do it to me" Daniel smiled happily which mildly freaked out Paul. "If they kept me I would have been with Klein's too. I would have the booming business, the wife, the family- everything"

"His wife isn't that great" Paul said seriously

"I know all about her" Daniel said to him "She was my foster sister"

"Really?" Paul asked surprised "That's interesting"

"I didn't sleep with her because she was interesting or because I couldn't resist her" Daniel scoffed "I only did it because she was a sweet kid and if I didn't my father would have- he was a real prince" he said to Paul "This isn't about her this is about Punk"

"And you want to attack his business as payback? Pretty cliché" Paul noted

"Who said anything about attacking him? I want to get to know him" Daniel said to him "He won't let me in. He thinks I'm trying to get into AJ's pants."

"Why haven't you just told him the truth?" Paul asked him

"He doesn't acknowledge his true parents or where he came from" Daniel mocked "Or he would have known about me"

"So you want to be an outsider looking in?" Paul asked "That's kind of pathetic"

"I need time" Daniel said to him "I want what he has. The big mansion, the adoring family- everything. The club is just a step in the right direction"

"Well I'll need to think this over" Paul said to him

"I'm assuming you won't tell Punk" Daniel said to him

"Punk doesn't really speak to me" Paul grinned

"You used to know him pretty well, right?" Daniel asked

"Very well" Paul agreed "Loved him like a son"

"So he had three fathers?" Daniel asked with a laugh

"Something like that" Paul chuckled

"If you're looking to hurt Punk I'm going to give you a friendly tip before you pour whatever savings you have into Tonic- he doesn't give a rats ass about his clubs" Paul told him "He cares about his family. Don't let the tough exterior fool you. His parents, sister and yes even his brother is his life"

"I know" Daniel said to him "They saved him from having the kind of life I had"

"Just a thought" Paul said to him "I'll be in touch" he told him then walked out the door.


	38. Tattoo

**Tattoo**

* * *

AJ was woken up by a constant poking in her neck. She scrunched up her face and rolled over to see her husband giving her a glare.

"What?" she asked him

"We're going out" Punk said getting out of the bed without any further explanation.

AJ got dressed and followed Punk out of the house.

"Seriously where are we going?" AJ asked zipping up her jacket

"Not far" he said opening the door to the tattoo parlor downstairs from their home.

"Hey Punk" A heavily tattooed man greeted

"Hey Corey" Punk greeted shaking his hand "This is my wife" he introduced the two "AJ, Corey Graves is the best tattoo artist in Chicago"

"Best cover up artist" Corey corrected

"Oh" AJ smiled "I get it" she said looking at Punk

"Think you're ready to get rid of that tattoo yet?" Punk asked her "Or at least cover it up?"

"Yea" She said to him

"Mind if I take a look at what I'm working with?" Corey asked her

"Oh sure" She said turning so her back was towards him then lifted her hair.

"Alright I can work with this" Corey said to her "Anything in particular you want?"

"I actually have an idea" AJ said to him

"Great let's draw it up" Corey said to her "And you can check out some of the mock up designs I made for you" he said to Punk

"Awesome" Punk said to him "But I'll wait for AJ to finish up"

"I kind of want it to be a surprise" AJ smiled towards him

"Seriously?" He asked with a laugh

"Getting a tattoo is a very personal thing" Corey reminded Punk amused "Don't worry I won't hurt her" he said pulling AJ into the back.

* * *

Punk was sitting on the couch with AJ's legs draped over his lap as she laid on the couch and read. Every time AJ looked up from her book she caught Punk looking at her.

"What?" She asked closing her book

"I want to see it" He said to her

"When it's time to take the bandage off" AJ said to him "Be patient"

"That word is not in my vocabulary" He informed her "What's the big secret?"

"I want it to look good when the bandage come off" AJ said to him

"It's actually going to look scabby the longer you wait" Punk said to her

"I'm not sure you're going to like it" AJ admitted nervously

"Is it in tribute to someone you've slept with who isn't me?" Punk asked seriously and she rolled her eyes "Good I'll love it" He said to her

"How come you didn't get one?" AJ asked him "Corey said he drew things up for you"

"I want to wait to see what you got" Punk said to her "Maybe I'll get the same one"

"Isn't that kind of lame?" AJ asked him

"I have matching tattoos with a lot of people" Punk pointed out proudly and pointed to the heart on his arm "This one is the same one my mom has"

"Jennifer has a tattoo?" AJ asked with a laugh

"Yup on her ankle" Punk said to her "And the one behind my ear, Devon and Mia have the same one"

"That's actually really sweet" AJ smiled

"Dean and I both have this skull" Punk said to her

"How many girlfriends name have you covered up?" AJ questioned

"I don't do names" Punk said to her

"You don't have anyone's name tattooed on you?" she asked surprised

"Nope not one" He said almost proudly

"Why?" AJ asked him

"Honestly? I think it's a jinx" Punk admitted "And kind of tacky."

"I got your name" AJ blurted out and his face fell

"Well I didn't mean-" He started

"I'm just kidding" AJ laughed "Your face was priceless. And I just kind of figured you didn't put names of girlfriends on your body because you didn't have enough skin" she teased

"Wow" Punk laughed

"But seriously all your tattoos mean something to you and no one of them matches an ex?" AJ questioned

"A few" he admitted "But I don't see any of them anymore"

"Interesting" AJ mumbled picking up her book

"What?" Punk asked

"You don't see how hypocritically you are?" AJ asked looking down at her book and flipping the page

"How so?" he asked

"Are you kidding?" she laughed loudly "You couldn't stand the fact that I had a tattoo that matched another man's. The same exact you thing"

"It's different" He said simply with a shrug "I have hundreds of tattoos you on the other hand have just one"

"What does that matter?" AJ asked him

"No one even notices mine" Punk argued "I don't even remember half of them"

"But it's ok you match with some of your exes?" AJ asked shaking her head "It's wrong and you know it. Do you have one with Amy?"

"I don't really remember" he said lightly "It's really not a big deal. My tattoos tell a story"

"So did mine" AJ argued

"Yea yours said 'I fucked my druggie crush'" Punk spat "And why would you even want that on you? It was a pity fuck" he pointed out and he knew he pushed too far. She closed her book and stood up.

"I know what it was Phil" AJ said to him "I didn't want to have the tattoo anymore but I don't understand why you want to keep yours" she then walked up the stairs and he could hear the door slamming behind her.

* * *

AJ stayed inside the bedroom for most of the day. Punk had tried to get inside but she locked the door and refused to let him in. He really wanted to resolve this before they had to go to work.

"AJ" he knocked on the door lightly but she again didn't respond "We have to go to work. But if you want to stay home again tonight it's ok it should be quiet" he said thru the door "Look I'm sorry just come out" but again not a sound "You do know I can get in if I want right?" he asked her but was again greeted with silence "I'm just trying to work on that patience thing"

Punk waited another ten minutes before knocking again.

"I really have to go now" Punk said and to his surprise the door opened and his wife appeared at least he thought it was his wife. "Um…" he said eyeing her from her bare legs all the way up to her breasts that were pushed together and practically falling out of her tight cocktail dress. "I think you're a little overdressed for work but ok" he said trying to look at her face but his eyes kept falling to other parts.

"I'm not going to work" AJ informed him and he just eyed her strangely

"So where are you going? The corner?" He asked half seriously and she was ready to slam the bedroom door in his face but he laughed and grabbed the door before she could close it "I was kidding" he said to her amused "You look very pretty but where are we going?"

"You're going to work" AJ told him "I'm going out"

"Where are you going dressed like that?" Punk asked seriously

"Out with your sister and Maria" AJ said walking further into the bedroom trying not to trip in her heels. AJ's dress was a red lace that was pretty much see threw except at the bra and waist where there was black lining.

"No" He chuckled

"No?" She asked him as she applied red lipstick to herself and looked at him through the mirror.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean no" He apologized "You can do whatever you want" he corrected "Just not dressed like that"

"I spent two hours getting dressed" AJ informed him happily "I'm going out"

"Great, fine" he said encouragingly "I'll see you at the club then"

"So I can sit in front of your open window while Roman watches me and Dean refuses to let us leave the VIP area? No thank you" she smirked "I want to dance and have fun tonight" she said placing her lipstick in her small purse.

"Alright well just change then" He said to her

"That's not going to happen" she said to him as she took a stance that actually frightened him

"AJ you're not going out dressed like this" Punk said to her "You wear more to bed!"

"What's the matter? Afraid I'm going to go out looking for a pity fuck?" She asked folding her arms

"I get it" he smiled "I shouldn't have said it was insensitive"

"It hurt my feelings" AJ told him and he again felt guilt pang his body

"I apologize" he said to her

"Don't" She said walking over to the side table of their bed and grabbing her phone "It was true I mean Jeff told me the same thing a few weeks ago it doesn't mean that something I thought was important was actually nothing" she said to him "But I don't even care about that. I was trying to talk to you about something and you didn't like what I was saying because you knew I was right so you immediately tried to hit me where it hurts"

"That really wasn't my intention" Punk defended

"If you want to keep your tattoos that's fine" AJ said to him "There's probably way too many for you to even cover and I would also never ask you to change your body or your clothes for that matter. I just wanted you to understand that you are a big fat hypocrite"

"Ok lesson learned" Punk said to her "I am sorry" he said to her "Hurting your feelings is something I never want to do and as for the tattoos I see where you're coming from. I have a lot of them and I don't think about them its just part of what I am"

"And I love you for who you are" AJ said softly "Baggage and all"

"I appreciate that" He smirked

"Ok well have fun at work" she said kissing his cheek and walked past him

"Wait I apologized" Punk reminded her

"Yea and I accepted it" AJ smiled "Don't wait up for me" she told him "If we're out too late I'm just going to crash at Maria's"

"Wait, no" he said grabbing her wrist gently "You really can't go out dressed like that"

"Didn't we just discuss this?" AJ asked him "I wouldn't change you"

"Yea but if I wanted to go to work dressed in just my boxers I think you'd object" Punk said trying to reason with her

"Yes I would object" AJ agreed "Good think neither of us go out in our underwear" she smiled and he opened his mouth again but AJ held her finger to his lips to sop him "If you imply I'm wearing underwear I am really going to strip off this dress and truly go outside in my underwear" she warned

"Ok" Punk said simply "I'll pick my battle" he said to her "At least come to the club"

"No" she laughed

"Where else could you possibly go dancing?" Punk asked her

"You and Seth aren't the only two people who own clubs in Chicago. Besides it's kind of like going undercover" AJ pointed out

"Fine bring Roman" Punk said to her "I'll call him"

"No" she said to him "I want a night away from the craziness"

"Sounds like you just want to be away from me" Punk noted "I don't want you to feel that way ever"

"I called Mia after you pissed me off and she talked me into this and it sounds fun. I just want to go have fun." AJ said to him

"I worry about you" Punk said to her "After what happened to Celeste I just don't trust anybody and if something were to happen to you or Mia-"

"We'll be fine" AJ said to him "I throw a mean right hook" she teased

"Alright yea go ahead" Punk said reluctantly "Go have fun but you need to come home, no Maria's" he warned and she eyed him "Could you please come home? I don't care what time it is" he decided to ask rather than demand and it seemed to work

"Yes I can do that" She said to him

"And I'd prefer if you didn't take a cab home I'll pick you up whatever time you want" Punk said to her "I think that's fair" he said to her

"Yea it is" AJ smiled and kissed his lips

"Don't let anyone touch you" he said nervously

"Here" She said turning her back to him and moving her hair to the side to show off her fresh tattoo. And even though she couldn't see his face she knew he was smiling.

"Wow" He said happily

"You like it?" she asked. The tallies were turned into a barcode and the small numbers underneath were their wedding anniversary.

"I love it" he said honestly

"It doesn't mean you own me" she warned turning around to face him holding her finger up in a warning manner "But it doesn't mean you're part of me and I'm proud to wear this tattoo for the rest of my life"

"It means a lot" Punk said to her cupping her cheek "I really can't convince you to come to SXS for ladies night, huh?"

"Nope" She said with a laugh "But don't work too hard" she said grabbing her jacket

"Don't put your drink down" Punk warned before she walked out of the bedroom

"What?" she laughed

"Don't put your drink down and look away, someone could slip you something" he warned

"Ok honey" she laughed buttoning up her jacket

"And stay with Mia and Maria" He reminded her and she just laughed "Don't leave the club and if one of you goes to the bathroom all three of you go. Also call me if you want to come home"

"You're my husband, not my father" She reminded him teasingly "I'll be ok" she kissed him again and left.

* * *

Punk kept looking at his phone the entire night as it sat on his desk waiting for AJ to call him and tell him to come get her. He had texted her constantly and she responded each time but warned him she was done answering him would call him when she was ready.

"What's your deal?" Dean asked who was sitting in Punk's office playing on his playstation. "Your creepy quiet"

"AJ" Punk said to him

"Trouble in paradise?" Dean teased

"Where is my sister tonight and what is she wearing?" Punk asked annoyed. Dean paused the game and turned to look at Punk.

"Is this a trick question?" Dean asked turning to look at him "Are you going to punch me in the face with whatever I respond with"

"AJ went out with her and Maria tonight dressed like…I don't even know and I could only assume Mia is doing the same thing" Punk said to him "Don't you care?"

"Of course I care" Dean said to him "They're at Raymond's bar for ladies night, you know he has a DJ and stuff. Ray watches and Mia and the girls" he shrugged

"Oh" Punk said quietly "Good to know. She was a little pissed at me tonight and when she gets pissy she drinks and gets sloppy"

"She's a big girl" Dean reminded him "So what did you do?"

"I asked her to get her tattoo covered that she shared with an ex, or really a sort of ex I guess" he shrugged

"Oh then she realized what a hypocrite you are because you have dozens of tattoos with other women?" Dean mocked

"Exactly" Punk said to him

"I know you love her because you don't look at any woman anymore even the ones who are throwing themselves at your feet but she's not your property" Dean said to him "You can't just tell her to do things especially if you're not willing to do the same"

"Yea whatever" Punk mumbled

"So speaking of relationships-" Dean started

"-if you think you're going to talk to me about sex or cheating on my baby sister I will get up and beat the shit out of you" he threatened

"Relax I'm not stupid, I'm crazy about Mia" Dean told him "It's about her Birthday"

"Yea it's next week" Punk said to him "What about it?"

"It's about her gift" Dean said to him and Punk nodded "What did you get her?"

"You want to know what I got her because you can't think of what to get to her?" Punk asked

"No I just need some ideas" Dean admitted "Mia is very difficult"

"Agreed" Punk said seriously "Get her jewelry" he shrugged "Women dig jewelry, AJ doesn't like jewelry but loves anything I get her. AJ and I are getting her a purse or something, I don't know AJ picked it out"

"I can't afford to get her jewelry that's up to her standards" Dean said to him

"What are you talking about?" Punk laughed

"You all are millionaires" Dean reminded him "I just make rent every month"

"You need money?" Punk asked seriously

"No I don't want handouts" Dean warned "I just want to give her something sentimental but doesn't look too cheap"

"I'll give you money" Punk said to him "Get her whatever you want"

"I want her gift to actually come from me not her brother" Dean said to him "I'm just not good at sentimental shit"

"Well for starters you probably shouldn't call it shit" Punk suggested "I don't know I'm not good at that either"

"You know Mia" Dean pointed out

"Yea but I have feeling you do too" Punk said leaning back in his chair "Just pay attention to little things she says"

"She told me not to get her anything and I know it's because she thinks I can't afford it" Dean said to him

"Why is money bothering you so much? It never did before" Punk asked

"Because I want to marry your sister" Dean admitted and Punk screwed his eyes at Dean "Not right now but down the line and I would like to provide for her and not have it be the other way around"

"Look…" Punk started as he shifted in his chair "…when the new club opens I'm going to be there with AJ and I want you here"

"Yea I know we've discussed this" Dean said to him

"As part owner" Punk said to him "You deserve more of a say, you work harder than anyone else"

"I can't afford to buy in" Dean said to him

"We'll work out the pricing later" Punk said to him "You'll be making good money and this club will practically be yours"

"I don't want pity" Dean warned

"It's not and AJ and I have both discussed it" Punk said to him "You're smart, you're loyal, a good worker and more importantly you've earned it"

"Thank you" Dean said to him "You won't regret it"

"I better not" Punk warned

* * *

Punk pulled up outside the bar ten minutes after AJ had called him. It was already almost three in the morning and he just wanted to get home and it wasn't just because whenever AJ had a few drinks she was extra horny- or maybe that was the reason…

"Hey!" Mia smiled hugging her brother "Thanks for getting me" she said kissing his cheek

"Drunk" Punk scolded shaking his head

"Happy" she corrected pointing at her smile

"Thank you" AJ smiled as she tried to walk towards him and almost busted her ass on the curb stepping on a crack in her heels; thankfully Punk caught her at the right moment.

"Drunk" he scolded to his wife now as he helped her up

"Yes and you know what that means" she whispered then giggled

"You're going to throw up" Punk said to her

"So we better get Mia home quickly before that happens" AJ laughed

"Ew" Mia shouted

"Wait a minute" Punk said looking towards the door they both stepped out from "One is missing" he said looking at the two "Where's Maria?"

"She went home" Mia said to him

"When?" AJ asked her

"She met one of the ugliest guys I have ever seen in my life" Mia laughed hysterically "You missed him"

"Where were you?" Punk asked his wife "Didn't I say to stick together?"

"I stepped outside to call you" she said getting into the car and then Punk helped his sister into the backseat.

"You are the absolute worse influence on my wife" Punk said looking back at Mia before starting the car

"She is so much fun!" Mia cheered "And she can dance" she said proudly "But don't worry AJ wouldn't dance with one guy. One even offered her money" she laughed

"Charming" Punk mumbled pulling away from the bar "And is Maria home? Or do I have to go searching for her?"

"She texted me when she got home with her troll" Mia giggled

"Alright" Punk said making a right turn

"No!" Mia shouted causing Punk to almost drive off the road

"Mia!" Punk yelled

"I want to go see Dean" Mia said to him and Punk cringed because if Mia was anything like AJ he knew why his precious baby sister wanted to go see her boyfriend

"He's home" Punk lied "You can see him tomorrow"

"He's at the club he just messaged me" Mia said to him waving her phone in his face

"Driving" Punk reminded her "How about you just go home and sleep this off?"

"I want to go see my boyfriend" Mia said formally as AJ held back a laugh

"I think I'm just going to take you home actually" Punk said coolly

"Ok fine" Mia said to him "I'll wait until you leave then walk to the club at this time of night, gee I hope no one sees me drunkenly walking around in the middle of the night"

"Just take her to the club" AJ laughed looking at Phil

"No" Punk hissed "I know why she wants to go there she can sleep this off. I'll just take you back to our place" Punk said smugly "You'll be under my roof"

"Newsflash Punk, Dean and I have sex a lot" Mia told him and he almost vomited "And he's amazing"

"Enough Mia" Punk warned

"And I'm going to the club and I'm going to pull Dean into your office and rip his-" Mia stopped when Punk shot her a scary look

"You have sex in my office?" Punk demanded to know

"Every night that you're not there" Mia said in the same smug way Punk would and AJ let out a laugh

"For two people who aren't blood related you're so similar" AJ laughed

"In my office!" He yelled "With my best friend?"

"Couch, desk, wall, filing cabinet" Mia rambled off

"Filing cabinet?" Punk asked disgusted

"You have sex in there" Mia defended

"With my wife" Punk pointed out "And it's my office!"

"You used to have sex with random clubbers and waitresses in that office all of the time not to mention Maria as well" Mia pointed out and Punk didn't dare to look towards AJ.

"Thanks Mia" Punk said coldly looking at her thru the rearview mirror

"I'm sorry AJ" Mia said catching her mistake

"Its ok" AJ said quietly

"Club it is" Punk said turning towards SXS which wasn't far and the rest of the car ride was silence until Punk pulled up outside where Roman was already waiting outside. "Take my sister inside make sure she doesn't wander off" he said to Roman who nodded

"Come on girl" Roman said opening the door for her

"Hi Roman" she said giving him a drunk kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Roman!" Punk yelled rolling down AJ's window so he could hear him "Don't let her into my office with Dean alone" He warned and Roman tried not to laugh.

"AJ I'm sorry" Punk said looking at her "She's drunk"

"She's not lying but it's ok" AJ said to him "Your past is your past and I have a good idea of what you were up to." She said as he began to drive away.

"She shouldn't have-" he started but stopped and literally almost crashed into the nearest pole when he felt her dive her hand into his shorts.

"Fuck" He said with clenched teeth as she continued to play with him. His hands turned white around the steering wheel and was grateful for the red light. "AJ" he warned wrapping his hand around his wrist.

"You want me to stop?" she asked teasingly into his ear before lightly blowing into it.

"We're not going to-" he hitched a breath as she tightened her fist around him "…home…we won't make it home"

"Good" she smiled "Pull over" She told him and if he wasn't hard before those two words would have done it for him.

Punk knew better and again this wasn't his thing. Sure did he have sex in his office? Yea but he wasn't big on being in the outdoors but he was big on being with his wife and she really wasn't giving much of a choice. She kept jerking at him until he pulled down an alley that he was sure was empty but right now he really didn't care.

As soon as Punk killed the lights to the car and threw it park his seatbelt as off and AJ was out of her seat straddling him. She cupped his face as her tongue ran over his lips and rolled her hips into him.

"I'm going to make you forget every other woman you have ever been with" it sounded more like a threat and he was slightly scared but that actually only turned him on more.

"I don't even-" Punk didn't finish his sentence because AJ placed her finger over his lips

"No talking" She told him "Don't ruin this moment" he wanted to argue that request but he decided to not further piss her off and risk having a truly terrible night. He watched as she hiked up her dress up over her hips. "Take them off" she said to him referring to her panties.

There would be no way for him to get them off without her moving so he risked speaking again but just as his mouth began to open she kissed me roughly again. He forgot what he was even going to say as AJ tugged at his bottom lip and bit hard causing him to bleed slightly. "Get creative" she suggested knowing what he was going to ask.

Punk didn't need any more directions he reached for her black thong and ripped it right off of her body. She let out a satisfied moan when he did so and he was thrilled he could turn her on without actually touching her.

"Do you remember the first time we were together?" She asked playing with his face and sliding her wet folds over his hard member. He knew better then to talk and just nodded. "You were so demanding, it was your way or the highway." She reminded him "I'm calling the shots tonight" she warned. Punk responded with a slow nod and slight eye roll from the pleasure he knew was coming to him.

"Say you love me" she demanded humping him and kissing his lips

"I love you" he said with all of his heart as he tried to deepen to the kiss but she pulled away every time he tried.

"Don't move" she instructed and he gave her a confused look. She moved her right hand to the side of his chair so it dropped slightly so they had more space.

With the stealth of a panther AJ turned around she was reverse straddling him. Punk wasn't sure what she was doing but he knew he liked it, even though he preferred to look into her eyes when he was making her cum.

"I thought you wanted me this way" she said rubbing her rear over his twitching shaft. "I can handle it you know" she said to him lustfully but he again didn't respond. "Not tonight though, tonight I want you like this" she said to him and she could tell he was slightly disappointed.

Punk licked his lips as he watched AJ lean forward and grabbed onto the steering wheel and lifted her hips and with ease slipped over his him. Punk knew this couldn't be too comfortable for her but it was amazing for him. The reverse cowgirl was one rare way they hadn't had sex before.

"Oh!" she moaned using the steering wheel to help support her "You are so deep" she said as she felt his hands claw at her back but remained silent except for a few grunts and groans. The way AJ was positioned was just perfect as he hit her g-spot over and over until she came, and she came very powerfully.

AJ was slightly disappointed because she wanted to be in control a little while longer and she knew once she released he was going to take over and he certainly did. She was now almost completely pressed chest first into the steering wheel as he plowed into her from behind.

"Phil, fuck" she cried almost literally.

"I like when you're in charge" Punk said to her as he moved constantly "It's fucking hot" he said as his chest was pressed into her back. "I know you're uncomfortable so I'm going to end this but believe me baby I'd go like this all night with you" he groaned out and once she tightened around him for the second time tonight he came with her at the same exact time.

As uncomfortable as AJ was in her position she didn't want to leave it. She was catching her breath when she heard her husband.

"Come on baby turn around" he told her helping her off of him so she could turn around again. She was straddling him from the front now but collapsed into his body from exhaustion. "Are you ok?" he asked running his hand up and down her back

"Uh-huh" she sighed nuzzling her face against his breast.

"Feeling sick?" he asked her curiously

"Not yet" she said to him "Tired"

"I'll take you home" He said to her but she wouldn't budge

"Just one more minute?" she asked looking up at him without moving her head off of him. He just nodded and she kissed his chin because that's all she could reach.

Punk actually loved having AJ like this, clinging to him, curling into him, holding him. He had a need to be wanted and AJ made him feel that way, he knew she needed him but he needed her just as much. A tap at his window pulled him from his thoughts.

"Oh fuck" Punk muttered and he quickly pulled down AJ's dress so she wasn't visible to the uniformed police officer.

"Oh my god" AJ said quickly jumping off of him and back into the passenger seat. Punk zipped up his pants before lowering the window that was slightly steamed over.

"Yea?" Punk asked the officer

"License and registration" The officer said to him

"Why?" Punk asked growing more and more annoyed

"You're parked down a one way- in the wrong direction- you're idling your vehicle and sex with hookers is illegal last time I checked, this isn't the 70s anymore" the officer said to him

"What did you just call my wife?" Punk asked turning red. The officer looked past Punk over to AJ whose face was bright red.

"Right" The officer smirked "Hi there sweetheart I need your ID too"

"Don't give him shit" Punk said to AJ but not taking his eyes off of the middle aged officer

"Miss you can give me your ID or you can step out of the vehicle" the officer said to her

"She's my wife not a prostitute" Punk spat "What's your badge number?" he asked trying to look at it

"ID's from both of you" The officer repeated as he waved his partner who was still in his car over.

"You have to be fucking kidding me" Punk mumbled

"Just give him your ID" AJ said pulling hers out

"Fuck that" Punk said looking at her

"Oh hello" the other officer smiled tapping on AJ's window now. "Step out of the car miss"

"Why?" AJ asked as she rolled her window down and passed the man her ID "I'm cooperating"

"We're going to have to search you" The officer smirked

"I fucking dare you to try" Punk said in an almost threatening voice "Why don't you take a look at my wife's ID and get a glimpse at her last name" he said passing his ID over to the other officer. Both officers went silent.

"Brooks?" The officer asked unimpressed

"Kevin" the other officer said shaking his head then looked into the window "I'm so sorry about this mix up Mr. &amp; Mrs. Brooks" he said passing Punk back his ID and the other officer passed AJ back hers ID. "But you are going to have to clear out of here you're parked illegally"

"I'll get right on that" Punk replied almost smugly

"Tell your father we really appreciate his donations to the force every year" the officer smiled nervously

"Yea right after I tell him how you called my wife a whore" Punk smirked then rolled up his window.

"Sorry" AJ said to him "You were right about having sex outside-"

"Don't apologize. They were two over eager cops looking to make a bust" Punk said slapping on his seatbelt

"Do I really look like a hooker?" She asked him and he smiled

"No" he said helping her put on her own seatbelt

"Then why would they think I was one?" AJ asked

"Because it's now almost four in the morning and I was having sex with you in my car in a dark alley" Punk said to her "Most married couples don't do this sort of thing"

"Most married couples are boring" AJ said almost childishly

"I agree" He said looking at her as he put the car and drive and put the lights on "I like this spontaneous side of you, don't ever change" he said giving her a brief reassuring smile "I love all this about you" she smiled towards him as his eyes drifted back towards the open road.

* * *

The next morning Maria woke up with a killer hangover and looked over to her left and cringed slightly upon seeing an unfamiliar man next to her. She commonly woke up like this after wild nights but this man was really not her type.

"Um excuse me" Maria said politely pulling her bed sheet up and poking him

"Huh?" the man asked slowly coming to then smiled "Good morning beautiful"

"Yea ok" Maria said holding back a laugh "I need to get to work"

"Oh right of course" the man said sliding out of the bed. Maria's eyes almost popped out of her head upon seeing the man fully nude and the very large shaft he had, now she knows why she took him home. "Hope you had a good time last night or at least remember it" he laughed grabbing his boxers and sliding them up

"Yea I did" Maria said kindly

"I hope we can do this again some time" he said to her

"Oh I don't know about that" Maria said unsurely

"I might surprise you" he smirked pulling his jeans on next "Just one dinner"

"I'll think about it" Maria said to him just wanting to get into her shower. "This is embarrassing but-"

"My name is Daniel" he said reaching to her shake hand. Normally you do that before you fall into bed with someone but Maria accepted the seemingly kind gesture. "Daniel Bryan" he said giving his full name

"Maria" she said sweetly

"I know" he said with a wink.


	39. The Whole Truth

**The Whole Truth**

* * *

AJ and Punk walked into the Klein home to celebrate Mia's birthday. Punk and AJ had a nice quiet week and were also preparing for their club opening next week, Punk have claimed to not care about the club business but he was truly excited for it.

"What did we get her again?" Punk asked AJ as she placed Mia's gift with the others

"A purse Phil" She sighed "You were there when I picked it up"

"I block things like that out" Punk mumbled

"Hi" Mia smiled greeting the two

"Happy Birthday" Punk grinned hugging her

"Thank you both for coming" Mia said happily

"Wouldn't miss it" AJ smiled

"We're just waiting on Maria to get here" Mia told them

"Where has she been by the way?" AJ asked her "She didn't even come out Monday"

"That troll guy she met at Ray's apparently has swept her off of her feet" Mia said to her

"I have to meet this guy" Punk chuckled as he looked at his phone

"You will, she's bringing him to lunch" Mia told him

"Oh Mia look" AJ said proudly turning Punk around and pointing to the back of his neck. It was the same exact tattoo AJ had and having it in the same spot meant a lot to AJ. "It took me days to convince him to put it there because he hates neck tattoos"

"It looks awesome" Mia said to them "You guys are seriously adorable"

"That's what I was going for" Punk said glaring towards AJ

"The tattoo isn't girly" AJ promised "It's romantic and hot"

"And it's fair" Mia pointed out "You should match your wife"

"Ok fine" Punk said to them "I'm hungry" He said looking at Mia who was snooping at her gifts

"We have to wait for Maria" Mia said to him

"AJ and I have to be at the new club tonight" Punk reminded her

"Yes I know and we will eat soon stop being such a crabby baby" Mia scolded "What's his problem?"

"He's been so busy with the club he hasn't been sleeping well" AJ told her as Punk rolled his eyes

"He gets so cranky when he doesn't sleep" Mia agreed

"I'm fucking fine!" Punk yelled

"Why don't you go up to your old room and take a nap, Maria won't be here for another hour" Mia told him

"An hour?" Punk asked even more annoyed

"Show me your old room" AJ requested

"Yea sleep off some of that crankiness" Mia suggested

"This is so sweet" AJ said looking at the only framed photo in his room and it was of Punk and Jennifer.

"Yea" Punk said closing his eyes as he tried to get some sleep. He felt the bed deep slightly and he knew AJ had joined him. She rolled into his chest and he wrapped his arm around her. The problem with having AJ so close to him while he tried to drift off to sleep was her smell, she always smelt amazing and he warmth set his skin on fire. He wanted nothing more than to catch a brief nap before having to go back to work tonight but now that had changed.

"What are you doing?" she asked pulling him from his thoughts. He opened his eyes and frowned as he saw his hand was almost completely dipped into her pants. Clearly his hands had a mind of it's own.

"I had no idea I was doing that" Punk admitted and AJ narrowed her eyes at him "Seriously" he defended but made no effort to move his hand out of her pants but further into them

"I thought you wanted to sleep" she said to him

"I thought so too but I can't sleep" Punk said to her "You know what would tire me out?"

"Is that why you've been so cranky? Because we haven't had sex in a few days?" she asked amused

"Eight days" Punk corrected

"I had my period" she reminded him

"Yea I know" Punk said to her "You don't anymore"

"No I do not" she said to him "But you really should sleep or you're going to be super difficult not just during lunch but tonight too"

"I'll be so fast and still get some sleep" he promised

"Not in your parents house" AJ said to him

"Why? They won't hear us" Punk said to her as he was about to reach into her she grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand out of her pants.

"You need rest" she scolded and curled into him "Sleep for a little"

"Fine" He grumbled

Almost two hours later the door swung open alerting Punk who shot up from the bed almost knocking AJ onto the floor.

"You have a girl in your bedroom and she's not naked?" Devon asked with a laugh but Punk shot him a glare as AJ sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Maria and her weird boyfriend are finally here, let's go"

"We'll be right down" Punk said and then Devon left the room

"So how many girls have you had naked in here?" AJ asked with a smirk

"You don't want me to answer that" Punk said to her

"You're right, let's go" she said stretching as she got out of bed

"Let's eat fast, have the cake then stop by back our house-" Punk started

"Phil stop being such a horn dog" AJ laughed knowing where that was going on "Let's just go celebrate Mia's birthday and hopefully your short nap has helped turn your mood"

"Nope" he said jumping out of the bed.

* * *

When Punk and AJ walked into the dinning room Maria was already at the table with Devon, Mia, Dean &amp; Elliot.

"Thanks for joining us" Maria teased

"I could say the same thing for you" Punk said pulling out a chair for AJ "Where's mom?" he asked Elliot

"In the kitchen with Maria's new boyfriend" Elliot smirked "He offered to help"

"He's a true gentleman" Maria said happily

"I can't wait to meet him" AJ said to her

"He's really excited to meet all of you" Maria told her

"You've been dating the guy for a week" Punk scoffed pouring himself a glass of water

"And how long were you and AJ dating when you thought she was the one?" Maria asked

"Good point, don't judge" Elliot said to Punk

"I'm not judging just making an observation" Punk defended lightly

"Here it is" Jennifer said carrying in the huge bowl of pasta "Mia's favorite"

"Yum" Mia said happily

"And I've got the garlic bread" the voice caused Punk to freeze. He knew that obnoxious voice well and didn't even need to look over to see his face.

"Tell me it's not" he begged his wife looking at her trying to not look towards Daniel for confirmation

"Be cool" AJ whispered.

"Punk, AJ this is Daniel" Maria said as Daniel took the seat directly across from Punk and next to Maria. Punk looked up at Daniel's happy and smug face almost jumped over the table.

"We know him" AJ said politely

"Really?" Maria asked surprised

"AJ was my foster sister" Daniel said to her "What a small world"

"Very small" Dean agreed sipping his water

"I've even met Dean" Daniel smirked waving towards him but Dean didn't seemed as happy as Punk.

"Wow it is a small world" Jennifer laughed

"Let's go" Punk said to AJ as he placed his napkin on the table

"What? No we're just eating" Mia pointed out

"I agree" Dean said to Mia

"What the hell is going on?" Maria demanded

"This guy is a fucking creep" Punk said to Maria

"Phil" AJ hissed

"It's fucking true!" Punk yelled

"Language at the table" Jennifer scolded

"No, no I can't sit across from him" Punk said simply "He goes or I go" he said looking towards Mia

"What is your problem?" Maria asked Punk

"This guy is stalking AJ" Punk said to her and everyone seemed slightly taken aback and AJ was just mortified

"No he's not" She said with a nervous smile

"He's shown up where we were in New Jersey, at our club and our home in the last month alone" Punk said annoyed "And I'm pretty sure he killed Celeste"

"Phillip!" Jennifer scolded

"Woah" Daniel chuckled "Punk and I haven't gotten along because I used to date AJ" he told the table

"You dated your foster sister?" Devon asked oddly

"She was fifteen and he was eighteen" Punk told him "He's a predator and he's only here because AJ is"

"That's not true" Daniel laughed

"Can't we all just sit at the table quietly?" Mia asked her brother

"Not if he's here" Punk said to her "I don't trust this guy in this house and around my family or Maria for that matter"

"Daniel has been nothing but kind to me" Maria defended

"How convenient that you met him while you were out with AJ" Punk mocked "I'm sure he wasn't there looking for her"

"I didn't even know AJ was there" Daniel replied calmly

"This is crazy" Punk said standing up "AJ come on" he said to her and she knew he wasn't leaving her much of a choice.

"No you two stay" Maria said standing up "Let's go Daniel" she said to him and Daniel stood up. AJ looked mortified as Punk glared towards Daniel. "I'm so sorry about this" she whispered to Daniel

"Don't you apologize to him" Punk spat "And you shouldn't be going anywhere with him"

"We're leaving because Mia is your family and she'd be devastated if you left" Maria said to him "But I will never forgive you for this" She said to Punk then grabbed Daniel's hand

"It was nice meeting you all" Daniel said politely waving at the table "AJ, Punk always a pleasure" he smiled as Maria dragged him out of the kitchen.

"You are the rudest person I have ever met" Mia said to her brother

"No" Dean said standing up for Punk "I caught him lurking around the club there's something off about him"

"He's just jealous because AJ used to date him" Mia argued "AJ doesn't act that way around Maria"

"No I'm not jealous" Punk said to her "He's a psychopath. Have a conversation with him" he dared her

"I would have if you didn't scare him off" Mia argued

"He wasn't scared, he's an arrogant prick" Punk spat

"AJ did he make you feel uncomfortable?" Mia asked her

"No" AJ admitted "But I do think something is off with him. He's way more interested in Phil then me"

"He's gay?" Devon asked surprised

"No" AJ said shaking her head "He's done a lot of homework on Phil and I find that odd" she said to them

"He lives in New Jersey and now he's in Chicago dating one of AJ's friends" Punk argued "It's way too odd"

"I agree" Devon said simply "Let's eat" he said happily looking at the bowl of pasta

"You agree with his insanity?" Mia asked stunned

"It's weird" Devon said to her "Really think about it"

"I think it's a coincidence" Jennifer added

"Really?" Elliot asked his wife

"Of course all the men agree" Mia mocked "I hope you're happy" she shot at her brother

"I don't care if it makes me unpopular I don't want that man in this house around any of you" Punk said to her "Do I need to remind you what he did to Celeste?"

"Oh Phil you don't know he killed her" AJ argued

"The more I see him the more I am convinced" he said to his wife "And you're not hanging around him and Maria" he said to Mia

"You can't tell me what I can or can not do" Mia argued "I'm not a child"

"Mia just calm down" Dean suggested

"Me?" Mia asked offended "You're taking his side?"

"Like I said I don't like the guy and I do find it odd he's with Maria" Dean said to her "He's not right in the head"

"No he's not right in the head" she said pointing at Punk

"Look he's gone now" Jennifer added "So let's just enjoy your dinner" she said to Mia

"I'm not hungry anymore" Mia said standing up "I have to call Maria and apologize to her"

"Tell her AJ" Punk said to her "Tell Mia what a fucking freak that guy has been"

"His behavior has been odd" AJ admitted "Still don't think he killed Celeste"

"You didn't see him at Ray's?" He asked AJ

"Of course not I would have told you" AJ swore

"Maria won't answer my calls" Mia said to Punk "You owe her an apology too"

"No she should be thanking me" Punk said to her "And I won't discuss this anymore" he said to her "If I find out he's hanging around you-"

"-you'll what?" Mia asked challenging her brother

"You don't want to know" Punk said dangerously

"It's enough" Elliot piped in "Mia sit, eat" he told his daughter "No more discussing this"

"I agree" Jennifer said forcing a smile

* * *

Once they got to the club AJ could tell Punk was still upset. He didn't speak once after they began to eat and neither did Mia, making the dinner very awkward. He didn't even stay for cake and dragged AJ out of the house before Mia could even open her gifts.

"We're meeting the entire staff today so I suggest you lighten up" AJ warned him as they stepped into their office

"Lighten up?" He asked her slowly "That fucking goat faced pervert is fucking around with Maria, he got invited into my family home and now he has people pitying him!"

"It's really just Mia pitying him" AJ pointed out "But you over reacted"

"I under reacted" Punk corrected "I should have thrown him out on his crazy ass!"

"You caused a scene" AJ pointed out "You ruined your sisters birthday"

"I'm not apologizing for protecting my family" Punk scoffed "He couldn't get to you so now he's with Maria and next it will be my sister and that will happen over my dead cold body" he said in a very low voice

"Dean is going to look out for her don't worry" AJ assured him "I would suggest meeting up with Daniel so I could figure out what he's up to but I already know what your response will be to that"

"Yea don't waste your breath" Punk said taking a seat at his desk

"You should at least call Mia" AJ suggested

"Fuck that" Punk grunted annoyed "She's upset, she'll get over it. Nothing so terrible happened she's just being dramatic. I wanted to get my point across that's all"

"Yea I think you did that" AJ mocked

"After what happened to Celeste I realized it can happen to anyone so I'm ten times crazier when it comes to the women in my life that's all" Punk defended

"I get that you're scared but it's just Daniel" She laughed

"I'm sure that's what Celeste thought" Punk remarked

"If Celeste was talking to Daniel she would have told me" AJ said to him

"Or maybe there's a reason she didn't tell you" Punk shrugged "Maybe he was up to something"

"Maria is your friend too" AJ said to him "Maybe you could have pulled her to the side and spoke to her in a better way, she might have listened to that better"

"I could have" Punk agreed "But I didn't and that's too bad. She'll get over it"

"I hope so" AJ sighed "I'll talk to her when I see her tomorrow night"

"No" Punk said shaking his head and AJ knew this was coming "No Maria until she cuts ties with Bryan"

"Don't be ridiculous" AJ said to him

"I'm not I'm being precautious" Punk said to her

"You can't just forbid me from seeing my friend" AJ argued

"You're right" Punk agreed "If you go hang out with Maria guess who will be there?"

"Roman" AJ mocked rolling her eyes

"Me" he corrected "I will be every where you go"

"You sound like a stalker" AJ said to him

"No I sound like someone looking out for their wife" Punk argued "If Maria wants to get herself killed by him and not listen to me- fine." He said almost coldly "I will not let her drag you down with her. Never going to happen."

"Phil-" she started

"It's not a debate or something you can talk your way out of" Punk warned her "This isn't negotiable. You can text her and tell her you'll see when she comes to her senses" he then stood up and walked out of the office before she could argue further.

* * *

Punk was downstairs going over last minute inventory when the doors opened.

"We're closed" Punk said not looking up from his clipboard

"Really? I figure this is how many people would be here on regular nights" Seth Rollins teased

"I'm going to warn you now I'm in a pissy mood and I can't promise that I won't hurt you" Punk warned still not even looking over to his clipboard

"It's alright I'm not here to see you anyway" Seth said causing Punk to pick his head up then look over to him

"Well no one else is here" Punk said to him

"AJ isn't around?" Seth asked eyeing around the place

"Did you not hear my warning?" Punk asked him seriously

"Relax it's just business" Seth said with ease

"I don't give a shit what it is" Punk spat "You're not seeing my wife"

"We have an understanding" Seth said to him as he took a seat at the bar "You have anything good back there?"

"Get out" Punk said putting the clipboard down

"I need to speak to AJ" Seth repeated

"Why?" Punk asked trying not to snap "If this is about the damages to your place I'm sure my check more than covered everything"

"It sure did, have some extra left over actually" Seth grinned "Which is why I'm here to see AJ"

"I'm going to say this very slowly so you understand it" Punk began as he leaned against the bar "You don't speak to my wife. You have no business with her at all. I don't like you, I don't trust you and I don't want you in my club and the next time you come around here you'll be in the hospital a hell of a lot longer than the last time"

"She owes me one" Seth informed him "You're a man of your word I'm sure you can understand that"

"My wife was terrified when she said that to you" Punk said to him "And it would be like you to use it against her"

"I just want her help with Tonic" Seth said to him and Punk narrowed his eyes "I'm going to full on redo the entire place and I know AJ designed most of this place and it's ten steps up from SXS even though the name could use some work, I mean 'The Cellar'? Come on you could have done better"

"You want my wife who owns this club to go down to the competition and help you out?" Punk laughed "What are you up to Rollins?" he asked now amused

"Alright you caught me" Seth laughed "It is business related though"

"What's going on?" AJ asked walking over to them

"Nothing, Seth was just leaving" Punk said locking eyes with him

"No I'm here to speak to you actually" Seth responded to her sweetly "Hi AJ"

"Seth" AJ said formally

"Do you mind?" Seth asked Punk

"Oh fuck you" Punk said disgusted

"Come on I'll walk you to your car" AJ offered and Seth happily jumped off of his stool

"AJ" Punk warned

"Five minutes" AJ mouthed holding up her hand and walked Seth to the door "So what's this about?"

"I don't suppose I can convince you to come work for me at Tonic?" Seth asked and AJ narrowed her eyes as they approached his car "Didn't think so. Actually this about a potential investor I have" he began

"I don't know any investors" AJ warned "Well maybe one" She said thinking of John

"This one claims to have known you" Seth said "Paul won't give me the dirt on him and has recommend I do not take him up on his proposal. I want to know if you planted him to spy on me"

"What?" AJ laughed

"You owe me one" Seth reminded her pointing at her "I want to know why this random guy was ready to hand me over a fat check and Paul told me not to accept. The only thing I know about him is you used to fuck around with him"

"Who?" AJ asked curiously

"Daniel something" Seth said to her and her eyes widened

"Daniel Bryan?" AJ asked

"Yea that's it" Seth said nodding

"I swear to you I didn't send him to you" AJ promised "I didn't even know he knew you"

"He approached me two weeks ago" Seth told her "Has it out for your husband so I thought 'well this is great' but then Paul shot it down. I can only think he did that because Daniel wasn't being very honest"

"I have no idea why he wanted in on Tonic with you" AJ told him honestly "I don't even know why he's here in Chicago"

"If I had to guess" he said eyeing AJ from head to toe "I'd say it's you"

"No something is up with him" AJ disagreed "But thank you for telling me"

"Don't thank me" He warned "I didn't tell you to help you I did it to find out what was going on"

"You really aren't half bad" AJ said with half a smile then turned and walked back into the club. She looked to the left and saw Punk was looking out the window.

"What did he want?" Punk asked her

"He said Daniel went to him and tried to get in on Tonic" AJ told him and Punk looked at her

"You're kidding right?" Punk asked

"Nope" AJ said to him

"See" AJ &amp; Punk said at the same time

"I told you he's out for you" Punk said to her

"No he's out for you" AJ corrected "He told Seth this and he wants to hurt you through your business"

"He wants to be linked to you, get closer" he argued "How are you so blind to this?"

"How are you so blind?" She shot back

"AJ are you this naïve?" he asked "Talking to Jeff, getting in touch with Celeste, coming to Chicago, trying to work with Seth, fucking Maria- it's all about you" AJ knew Punk was still upset and he clearly had his mind made up.

"You're right" AJ said simply and Punk seemed surprised by her response but didn't fight it "I guess I just find it really strange that's all" she lied

* * *

When they had gotten home Punk jumped into the shower and AJ used this opportunity to call Shawn who Punk had told her to not have look into Daniel.

"Hey Shawn" AJ greeted

"AJ I was just about ready to call you" Shawn said to her

"Did you find anything out?" AJ asked him

"I did" Shawn confirmed "And it's the last thing I thought I would discover"

"What was it?" AJ asked him

"Does Punk ever talk about his brother?" Shawn asked her

"Yea I mean him and Devon are pretty close" AJ said to him

"Not his adopted brother, his blood brother" He corrected

"He doesn't have one" AJ said to him

"Oh he does honey" Shawn said to her "And it's Daniel"

AJ's jaw almost dropped to the floor. Punk had never once mentioned any siblings to her.

"It has to be a mistake" AJ said to him "Punk would have told me"

"He probably doesn't even know" Shawn told her "He was a baby himself when Daniel was given away"

"He was adopted?" AJ asked

"Sold" Shawn corrected

"Do you have any proof?" AJ whispered when she heard the shower go off

"I spoke to Daniel's father" Shawn told her

"He could be lying" AJ said to him

"Could be, I'm still digging" Shawn said to her "Maybe you not mention this to him until I get more information"

"Yea good idea" AJ agreed "I'm not sure how he'd react"

"And Daniel was out of town during the time of Celeste's murder" Shawn told her

"Oh my god" AJ said quietly

"Look this all hearsay just give me a few more days" Shawn told her

"Yea ok" AJ said to him "Keep me posted"

"I will" Shawn promised then hung up.

AJ quickly ran over to Punk's jeans that were on the bed and pulled out his cell phone and looked back at the bathroom to make sure Punk was coming out and scrolled looking for a number, once she found what she was looking for she copied the number into her own phone.

_This is AJ Brooks, I need to speak to you asap. _She typed into the phone then hit send.

"Hey" Punk said walking out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing just checking my messages" She smiled "Feeling better?"

"A little" Punk said to her "I think I'll call Mia" he said to her

"I knew you'd cave" AJ snorted

"It's her birthday I don't want her upset" he admitted and that's when he began to reach for his pants for his phone that AJ knew wasn't in there.

"Can the call wait a few minutes?" She asked grabbing his wrists and standing up

"Yea" He said unsurely and let AJ push him into the wall. He didn't speak as AJ ripped the towel off of him and dropped to her knees and quickly took him into her mouth…..

* * *

Twenty-four hours later AJ was sitting in a restaurant sitting nervously as she waited for her guest to arrive.

"I must admit your text message surprised me" Paul Heyman grinned pulling out the chair across from AJ and taking a seat. "I normally wouldn't have responded but you really made me curious"

"I want to know if it's true" AJ said bluntly

"Know if what's true?" Paul asked

"You told me you were very close to Punk so you would know if him and Daniel Bryan shared a connection" AJ said to him and Paul smiled slowly

"You're a hell of a lot smarter than I gave you credit for" Paul chuckled

"Answer her" another voice demanded taking the seat next to AJ and there was Elliot Klein.

"Elliot" Paul said slightly nervous "You've called in the big guns, huh?" he asked AJ amused

"I knew you would try to hold something over my head or get money out of me" AJ said to him

"Hell of a lot smarter than I thought" Paul smirked looking towards Elliot

"We want to know the truth" Elliot informed him "We can do this the easy way Paul or we can do this the difficult way but from past experience with me I don't think you want that"

"I'm assuming since you're here Punk isn't aware of any of this?" Paul asked Elliot

"We want to know the truth" AJ said to him "We want proof"

"I have the proof" Paul said honestly "I have a ton of proof. Birth certificate, bank records, documentation- everything"

"Why didn't you ever tell him? Why didn't you tell me?" Elliot asked

"We both know how Punk feels about his birth parents" Paul reminded Elliot "It would crush him. And more important Daniel is an opportunist and I was afraid he'd try to get money out of Punk or you. So I made the decision to keep it to myself"

"I want all of the files" Elliot said to him

"What's in it for me?" Paul asked him back

"You are disgusting" AJ said to Paul who smiled

"I've been called worse" Paul laughed

"We'll discuss that later" Elliot said to him

"Are you going to tell him if I give you the proof?" Paul asked

"Of course" Elliot told him "We don't have secrets in my family"

"I beg to differ" Paul chuckled

"Where are these files?" AJ asked Paul

"My office" Paul said to her "You can come pick them up anytime you'd like honey"

"I'll go" Elliot said to him standing up

"Right now? I didn't even eat?" Paul asked him

"Trust me you'll be more than compensated" Elliot said adjusting the jacket to his suit.

"That means a big payday for me" Paul smiled towards AJ "I'll meet you at my office, I trust you remember where it is?"

"Yea" Elliot said to him and Paul walked away with an extra skip in his step

"I thought you said not to give him money" AJ said to Elliot

"I told you not to give him your money" Elliot corrected "I know Paul Heyman and money talks. Don't worry I'll take care of everything"

"What should I do?" AJ asked "Do I tell him?"

"When I get the paperwork and look into we'll talk to him" Elliot said to her "Thank you for calling me AJ you did the right thing" he said seriously

"I don't know these people like you do" AJ admitted to him "But once Seth told me Paul told him not to get involved with Daniel I knew he knew for sure"

"And you were right" Elliot said to her "We'll talk to Phil together, don't worry" he said kissing her cheek "Right now I don't want you to worry about a thing, go home to Punk and I'll stop by on my way back"

"Alright" AJ said to him still feeling bad

"You did the right thing AJ" Elliot assured her "I'm very proud of you"

"What if Daniel is trying to hurt him?" AJ asked Elliot

"I won't let anyone touch my family" Elliot assured her "Daniel Bryan will be running so far from Chicago once I'm finished with him. It's my job to protect Punk, its your job to keep him happy" he teased lightly causing her to smile

"Thank you" she said giving him a hug

"Thank you" He said genuinely.

* * *

AJ walked through the parking garage and hit the alarm on her car as she approached. She didn't even see the man lurking behind the pillar until it was too late. The man grabbed AJ from behind and with a fistful of her hair slammed her face into the trunk of her own car numerous times until he was sure she was knocked out.

"You couldn't mind your fucking business" Daniel mumbled standing over her. He grabbed the keys she had dropped and popped open her trunk. "Sorry sweetheart you're going to have to ride in the trunk, can't have you bleeding all over your expensive interior" he said to her on conscious body.

Daniel lifted AJ roughly and tossed her into the trunk then reached down for her purse and tossed in after her. He reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her cell phone and dropped it to the ground and placed it right under the tire of AJ's car. He pushed AJ's hair out of her face and shook his head at her bloody face. "Celeste looked the same way" he smirked then slammed the trunk closed.

Daniel got into the drivers side of the car and reversed out of the spot shattering her cell phone in the process. He heard his cell phone ringing and pulled it out of his pocket and smiled at the name appearing on the screen.

"Hi baby" he said happily to Maria

"Hi I just wanted to check and make sure we were still on for tonight" Maria said to him

"Of course! I wouldn't miss dinner with my favorite girl" Daniel flirted as he pulled out of the dark parking garage.

"Are you going to stay the night?" Maria asked almost shyly

"You don't even have to ask" Daniel said to her "There's no other place I'd rather be. I am running a late though" he said to her

"No problem I'll change the reservation for seven" Maria told him

"Awesome thank you baby" Daniel smiled into the phone "I'll see you in a little bit"

"Ok" she said then hung up. "Sorry AJ I've got big plans tonight we're going to have to speed this up!" he shouted then laughed knowing she couldn't hear him. "Poor Punk is going to be so fucking worried when you don't come home" he said still laughing "Oh man I can't wait to have a front row seat for this."


	40. Where'd you go?

**Chapter 40**

* * *

Punk was in his living room with Dean watching the Blackhawks game, it was playoff season and he was not going to miss any games. He was actually relaxed for the first time in a long time. He made up with his sister, his business was booming and him &amp; AJ were in an amazing place. Her crazy family was long gone, Randy Orton was legally obligated to stay away from her and his only concern was Daniel but with him spending time with Maria it meant he wouldn't be around AJ- all was well.

"Your door man" Dean said elbowing Punk. He hadn't even heard the bell. Punk slowly stood up but didn't take his eyes off of the TV as he watched the game.

"Hey" Punk said slightly surprised to see his father and that actually pulled him from the game, not because he was there unannounced but because he had a weird look.

"Son" Elliot said forcing a smile and giving him a hug

"What's going on?" Punk asked closing the door behind him.

"Hey Mr. Klein" Dean greeted

"Hello Dean" Elliot said to him then looked towards Punk "I need to talk to you about something" he said almost sadly "Can you grab AJ so the three of us could sit down?"

"I'll leave" Dean offered standing up

"No, no stay enjoy the game we can talk in the office" Elliot assured him

"AJ isn't here" Punk said to him "She told me she was going to lunch with you actually" he said pointing at his father

"We did but we parted hours ago" Elliot said to him "She didn't come home at all?"

"No" Punk said to him "I lost track of time actually" Punk said walking over to his phone "Once the game went on I completely spaced"

"Did she call?" Elliot asked him

"No" Punk said seeing no messages from AJ but decided to call her phone. It went right to her voicemail. "How long ago did you two have lunch?"

"Hours ago" Elliot said to him

"I'll call Mia and see if she spoke to her" Dean suggested standing up and walking out of the room

"Where could she be?" Punk asked more himself as he tried her cell again

"You have a tracker on her phone?" Elliot asked

"No" Punk said to him "Well actually I did but she made me take it off" he mumbled "Why do you look like that?" he asked Elliot. "What did you want to talk to us about anyway? What happened at lunch?"

"That's not important" Elliot told him "We need to find your wife"

"Ok you're freaking me out" Punk said with a nervous laugh but Elliot kept a straight face "I'm usually the one who gets paranoid and nervous why do you look like that" he demanded to know

"There's something you have to know but AJ has to be here for it" Elliot told him

"Mia hasn't heard from her" Dean said walking back into the living room

"She would have called me if she went elsewhere" Punk said to them "What the hell happened at lunch? Did you two have some sort of fight?"

"No of course not" Elliot scoffed "But I didn't walk her to her car" he said mentally kicking himself "I'm going to have Steve track the GPS in your car-"

"What the fuck is going on?" Punk demanded "You're hiding something from me"

"It's not important" Elliot said to him as he typed away at his phone

"Where is my wife?" Punk asked him

"I don't know" Elliot admitted "But I told her I'd meet her back here so her not being here concerns me"

"Why? What were you going to tell me and what does it have to do with AJ?" Punk asked him starting to grow almost desperate. His father's pale face made him very nervous and knew something was terribly wrong.

"AJ and I had lunch with Paul Heyman" Elliot told him and Punk was very stunned.

"Why?" Punk asked trying to remain calm

"AJ discovered he had information on you" Elliot told him honestly. "She knew Paul wouldn't freely give her the information so she called me and asked me to join her, which I did and I got the information we were looking for"

"What kind of information?" Punk asked him "And why didn't she tell me this?"

"She was trying to protect you" Elliot told him as Dean watched the two from the door "AJ discovered that Daniel Bryan is your biological brother" Elliot told him "She was right he was more interested in you and she knew Paul had the proof"

"Is this a fucking dream?" Punk asked turning to look at Dean but even he was surprised

"I left the restaurant with Paul and AJ went off on her own" Elliot told him "She said she'd be home. I know this is a lot to process at the moment-"

"I don't give a shit about Daniel Bryan right now I want to find AJ" Punk told him "I'll deal with all the fucking secrets later" he said to him.

"I'm calling Steve now" Elliot told him "Maybe you can have Roman swing by the clubs and see if she's there by any chance?"

"I'll call him" Dean said since clearly Punk was slightly in shock.

"Look I know this stuff with Daniel-" Elliot started

"I don't care about him!" Punk yelled "AJ isn't here that's what I'm worried about" then it hit him. "I'll be back, can you wait here in case she comes home?" he asked Elliot

"Where are you going?" Elliot asked him as Punk put on his jacket and grabbed his car keys and walked out of the house.

* * *

"Dinner was so amazing" Maria said kissing Daniel as they stumbled onto the couch.

"You're amazing" Daniel smirked as Maria kissed his neck.

The sound of loud banging startled Maria and she did notice Daniel didn't seem too surprised by it.

"Who the hell is that?" Maria mumbled climbing off of him

"It sounds important" Daniel said to her sitting up

"Maria!" Punk shouted banging on the door.

"Punk?" She asked walking to the door and opening it. Punk pushed Maria to the side as he stormed inside. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Where is she?" Punk demanded making his way towards Daniel. He just gave Punk a confused look as he grabbed Daniel by the collar of his shirt and pulling him to his feet "Do not play stupid with me" Punk hissed "I know" he warned him

"You know what?" Daniel asked innocently

"I'm calling the police Punk" Maria warned "Leave him alone!"

"Where is AJ!" Punk screamed shaking him

"What happened to AJ?" Maria asked concerned

"What did you do to her?" Punk demanded shaking from anger

"I don't know what you're talking about" Daniel said to him calmly "I don't know what you think you know-"

"Just let him go" Maria begged but Punk pushed Daniel against the wall and placed his hands around his throat so he couldn't breath

"You understand I will kill you, right?" Punk asked and Daniel slowly nodded since he couldn't speak. "Good. Now when I take my hands off of your scrawny throat you're going to tell me what happened to my wife" he slowly moved his hand off of Daniel's throat.

"I don't know where your wife is" Daniel lied and Punk moved his hands tightly over his throat again

"Stop you're going to kill him!" Maria cried trying to pry Punk's strong grip off of her boyfriend

"Did you do to her what you did to Celeste?" Punk hissed

"He was with me!" Maria yelled and Punk looked over to her and slowly let go of Daniel "We just had dinner and got back here! He didn't do anything!"

"You were with him all day?" Punk asked her

"No but he didn't take AJ" Maria argued "He couldn't have! We were on the phone most of the day anyway. Maybe she lost track of time-"

"For hours?" Punk asked her "You know her"

"Maybe she was sick of being treated like a child" Daniel suggested with a shrug

"She figured it out" Punk informed him kneeling down to be eye level with Daniel who was on the floor holding his throat "She warned me about you too. She was trying to protect me and you caught on to it. She was asking too many questions and you wanted to shut her up but you didn't realize that Paul had already opened his mouth himself" He said to him and Daniel seemed slightly uncomfortable

"What did she figure out?" Maria asked Punk "Someone talk to me!"

"You can't stay here with him" Punk said looking at Maria

"What are you talking about?" Maria asked him and he grabbed her by the arm and tried to physically drag her from the apartment "Punk stop this!" she yelled jerking away

"He's going to hurt you!" Punk screamed

"He's been nothing but generous and sweet" Maria argued "If something god forbid did happen to AJ you're wasting time here with Daniel"

"Please" Punk said in a whisper to his friend "Leave with me"

"No" Maria said almost sadly "Let me know if I can help with AJ though"

"You're the problem" Punk said to her coldly

"You need to leave" Maria said to him

"Not until he tells me what he did to AJ" Punk said pointing at Daniel

"Give us a minute" Steve Austin said walking into the apartment with two uniformed officers

"I'm not going anywhere" Punk spat

"Go home wait to hear from me" Steve told him "You can't do any good here"

"Are you going to arrest him?" Punk asked Steve

"We're just here to question him" Steve said to him

"Why?" Maria asked "Why won't anyone tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Elliot is worried about you, go home" Steve instructed

* * *

Punk had been in his home for four hours now waiting to hear from Steve and nothing.

"Why?" Punk asked Elliot as they sat across from each other in his kitchen

"Why what?" Elliot asked

"Why would you go along with this?" Punk asked her "You should have went by yourself if you were that damn curious"

"You're right" Elliot agreed "I assumed AJ would have gone regardless and it would be better if I was there"

"So it's true?" Punk asked him and Elliot nodded

"Yea" Elliot said to him "Paul had all the documentation" Punk swallowed a lump in his throat "I know this is shocking"

"What's shocking is that my wife has been MIA for hours" Punk corrected

"You don't remember Daniel at all?" Elliot asked him

"No" Punk admitted "It doesn't matter now anyway. He wants money from me I'm assuming"

"I don't know what he wants" Elliot told him

"Maybe if I give him money he'll give me back AJ" Punk said thinking about it

"You don't know that he took AJ or if anyone took AJ for that matter" Elliot reminded him "She could have had an accident"

"It's just like Celeste all over again" Punk said quietly "I told AJ the same exact things"

"AJ isn't Celeste" Elliot reminded him

"I told AJ that after Celeste was found I felt guilty because I was so relieved it wasn't her" Punk admitted to his father "If there really is a god he's punishing me for thinking it and saying it"

"This could all be a huge misunderstanding" Elliot said to him "She could walk thru that door any second"

"They can't get the GPS on her car on and her phone is dead" Punk said to him "AJ knows how I am, she wouldn't just take off for the day without saying something. Our club is opening in seven days we had to be there tonight. She's been working so hard to prove herself there, to prove she was worth having the job- she wouldn't just take off"

"Steve is with Daniel now and if he knows something he will get out of Daniel" Elliot assured him

"Maybe he doesn't want money" Punk said more to himself "He's jealous of my life so he's trying to take it away"

"If he wanted to take your life he would have killed you" Elliot told him and Punk shook his head

"No" Punk said firmly "He knows AJ is my life" he said to Elliot "If I don't get her back my life is over"

"Don't think like that" Elliot said to him

"He knew that" Punk argued "AJ is everything to me I've never loved anyone like I love her. If she's gone then I will be too"

"Stop planning her funeral" Elliot urged "I wanted you to know that Steve has officers in Milwaukee speaking to her father and brother"

"It's a waste of time" Punk said to him "I could see in that troll's eyes" he hissed slamming his fist on the table "So innocent and confused- he knew exactly what I was talking about"

"Like I said Steve will figure it out" Elliot assured him

"How could I be related that to that?" Punk asked him "My parents were shit and my brother- am I like that?" he asked Elliot

"No" Elliot promised him "You are an amazing man and son. You're not like them"

"I'm scared" Punk confided to Elliot "I don't even want to answer my phone or open the door because I know it's going to be bad"

"You'd know if AJ was gone" Elliot said to him "You would just know"

"When Celeste was missing AJ kept saying she was constantly wondering if she was hurt or calling out for her" Punk told him "That's all I can think about it. She's probably terrified wherever she is"

"She's strong" Elliot reminded him "She's had a tough life and she knows how to survive"

"What about Paul?" Punk asked him "Maybe he knows something"

"He's at the police station speaking to officers" Elliot told him "Devon is also there keeping everyone on their toes. Mia and your mother are driving around looking for her car"

"They shouldn't be out alone" Punk said alarmed

"Dean is with them" Elliot assured him "Roman was going to speak to Seth and Randy"

"So many fucking people" Punk muttered "So many horrible people could have hurt her and why? She's easily the most amazing and sweetest woman ever"

* * *

"I already told you I don't know anything about her" Daniel said to Steve Austin

"I know you're a Brooks" Steve said sitting across from him "I know you're here to step on Punk's toes"

"That's simply not true" Daniel said to him "I didn't even know I was related to Punk"

"And there's a lie" Steve laughed "Paul Heyman discussed it with you"

"Ok fine" Daniel shrugged

"I also dug a little deeper" Steve said to him "Your cell phone number shows up on Celeste Bonin's call record two days before she went missing"

"So? I knew Celeste from Jersey" Daniel said to him

"Where were you between noon and three pm?" Steve asked him

"I was out for a run" Daniel said to him

"For three hours?" Steve asked him

"I'm an athlete Detective Austin" Daniel grinned "That's considered a short run"

"You a strong guy?" Steve asked amused

"Some would say" Daniel smiled

"Strong enough to beat someone to death?" Steve questioned

"Is this about AJ or Celeste?" Daniel asked with a laugh

"Both. I can't help but feel there's a connection" Steve said to him

"If that's the case you're wasting time" Daniel told him "Because the longer it took you to find Celeste….well we know how her story ended"

"If we don't find Mrs. Brooks alive I swear to you that you will be locked away for the rest of your life" Steve warned him

"There's no proof" Daniel scoffed

"I don't need proof, I can make proof" Steve threatened "You're lying to me and I can smell the guilt from a mile away"

"Too bad you can't arrest someone on smell or feelings" Daniel shrugged "Can I go or do I have to call a lawyer?"

* * *

Punk was growing antsy as the hours passed and it was now almost six the next morning. He paced back and forth in the living room mumbling to himself while Elliot sat on the couch and tiredly watched him. When Punk's phone began to ring he was suddenly frozen and was far too terrified to answer it.

"I'll get it" Elliot told him reaching for the phone "Hello?…yes…where?…what's being done about it?….yea I'm sure there's something here….we'll be there" then hung up

"Did they find her?" Punk asked feeling his stomach tighten

"They found her car" Elliot told him "She wasn't inside but it was found by the woods so they're going to search there"

"I want to go" Punk said grabbing his keys

"We will" Elliot told him standing up "But they want something of AJ's"

"Why?" Punk asked her

"So search dogs can pick up her scent in the woods if she maybe her hurt herself and ran off in there" Elliot told him carefully

"Uh yea" Punk said thinking about it

"Does she have pajamas she may have not washed the night before?" Elliot asked "Something fresh with her scent?"

"She doesn't really wear pajamas" Punk said with a light smile "But when she does she wears my clothes because…it's not important" he said trying not to think about it "I have her Blackhawks Jersey" he said walking over to the dinning room table and picking it up "I'll get it back right?" he asked Elliot

"Yea of course" Elliot promised him taking the small jersey from him "I'll drive" Elliot offered and walked out of the house with Punk.

Once they arrived on scene there were tons of police cars, dogs and officers.

"Looks like a crime scene" Punk noted to his father

"They want to find her so they need a lot of people" Elliot pointed out. They walked by her car and all of the doors and trunk were open. He noticed a few people poking around the trunk.

"Did you bring something?" Steve asked

"Yea here" Elliot said passing Steve the jersey

"Bring this to the search team" Steve said passing the jersey off to a uniformed officer

"I need that back!" Punk shouted towards the officer

"Did you find something?" Elliot asked gesturing to the people swabbing the trunk

"Some blood" Steve told them honestly

"In the trunk?" Punk asked alarmed

"It's not a lot" Steve told him

"Is it hers?" Punk asked

"We need to run tests but we're assuming it was" Steve told her

"Do you have any ideas or a theory?" Elliot questioned

"There was no cameras inside the garage but there is one at the entrance &amp; exit and we see her pull in and we see the car leave but we can't see inside to know for sure it was AJ driving out" Steve told them "We're thinking whatever happened to her happened in the garage. We already assumed she was placed in the trunk the small- and I stress small" he said shooting Punk a look "Only confirms that"

"You can't enhance the video to see who was driving?" Elliot asked

"We're trying" Steve told him "Believe me there is no stone being left unturned" he assured them

"So she's hurt" Punk said to himself

"We think that's her blood" Steve reminded him

"Whose else would it be?" Punk asked annoyed

"I need you to keep a level head" Steve warned him

"My wife is missing, her car was found abandoned at the side of the road with blood in the trunk" Punk rattled off "I'm trying to stay calm but it's becoming impossible!"

"You've had a rough 24 hours" Steve sympathized "This stuff with Daniel-"

"No AJ has had a rough 24 hours!" Punk shouted "I don't care about this stuff Daniel I care about her- only her!"

"I'm going to find her" Steve promised

"Like you found Celeste?" Punk asked "If that's the case I'd rather you not even bother" he said then stormed off.

Punk walked over to the woods but far enough away from the officers and looked at them. Was AJ in there hurt? Was she already dead? Did she wonder where he was? Was she mad that he wasn't there for her? The questions were killing him and he couldn't just sit around anymore. Whether Daniel played a part in AJ's disappearance he knew he wasn't with her now and AJ needed him _now_. Punk took a few steps forward and headed into the woods to find his wife.


	41. Missing You

**Missing You**

* * *

Cold water hitting her face caused AJ to open her eyes slightly. She looked around and was completely confused she had no idea where she was or what happened to her. What she did know is that she had a terrible headache and she couldn't speak due to something covering her mouth. She lifted her hands over her mouth and felt duct tape but her hands were also duct taped together.

"No, no" Daniel said slapping her hands away "You've done more than enough talking to last a life time I want you to listen for a change" he said to her. AJ realized she was in an empty bathtub but not just any bathtub; she was in her and Celeste's old and empty apartment. "You're here because you're a nosey little bitch and you've ruined everything" he informed her

"I had wonderful plans for my to reveal to Punk" Daniel admitted "I was going to absolute humiliate him on the opening night of his club but you just couldn't wait" AJ screwed her eyes at him but he just laughed. "You used to make that screwy face every time I used to make you cum" he reminded her with a laugh he then removed the tape from her mouth roughly.

"If you yell or scream I promise you I will beat you to death right here" Daniel told her calmly.

"Like you did to Celeste?" AJ asked him

"Exactly like that" Daniel confirmed

"Why did you kill her?" AJ asked him

"Same reason I'm going to have to dispose of you" Daniel said sweetly "She couldn't mind her own business. Except she felt I was out for you the same that Punk felt. Who would have thought you were the smartest out of that group" he laughed

"Just let me go" AJ said to him "If you want money from Phil he will give you anything you want"

"Oh I know" Daniel laughed "He'd pour out his banking account and savings account even if it meant just getting you back for five minutes. He's very sad that you're missing" he told her and AJ felt her heart break

"How long have I been here?" AJ asked him

"Two days now" Daniel said to her "You briefly came to last night but you were still really out of it so I had to sedate you"

"Sedate me?" AJ asked

"Something like that" Daniel smirked

"I hurt everywhere" AJ said feeling the pain

"I shouldn't be surprised you can take such a beating, you used to like it rough" Daniel smirked "You used to beg me to go hard and harder" he laughed "I used to think it was some crazy thing so you could feel something but I think for some sadistic reason you used to like me making you bleed"

"Why didn't you kill me?" AJ asked him trying to block out his hurtful words

"Because I am being watched like a hawk" Daniel admitted "It took me two hours to ditch my police detail today. And if I kill you and leave you here you'll stink up the place" he told her honestly "Also dragging this out a little bit will be fun for Punk"

"Please leave him alone" AJ pleaded "He didn't know about you"

"He didn't care to find out about me" Daniel argued

"He's such a selfish bastard" Daniel told her

"He's the most selfless man I have ever met" AJ argued

"You're as pathetic as he is" Daniel spat

"If you let me go I'll give you a head start" AJ promised "I'll tell Punk that you went back to Jersey and you can head off in another direction-"

"You think I'm afraid of Punk?" Daniel mocked

"If he finds out you took me and beat me he will kill you" AJ said to him "And I'm more afraid of what will happen to him then me"

"How very sweet" Daniel smiled

"You have no idea how dark he can be" AJ warned

"Please if anything I'd be more afraid of your criminal keen but they don't really give a shit about you" Daniel told her "Actually I think Punk is the only one that gives a shit about you and once your gone I'd say three weeks he'll move on. It's what he does. He did it with our parents"

"It's not the same" AJ told him weakly

"It's exactly the same!" Daniel shouted causing her to flinch "Good you should be scared" he said to her "It's not a matter of if you'll meet Celeste's fate it's a matter of when"

* * *

Punk hadn't slept in forty-eight hours. After being pulled from the woods he was under constant watch by his family. But he didn't acknowledge any of them he was in constant space thinking about his wife.

"Hey" Mia said walking into his bedroom. He was sitting at the edge of his bed playing with his wedding band "There's food downstairs"

"I'm not hungry" Punk mumbled

"You need to eat you won't do AJ any good if you starve yourself" Mia reminded him

"I'll eat when AJ can eat" Punk said to her

"They'll find her" Mia said to him

"No they won't" Punk said to her "I said the same stuff to AJ when she was looking for Celeste. And I'm not doing any good sitting her like a zombie I need to be out there"

"And do what?" Mia asked him

"Looking!" Punk yelled standing up "What could it hurt?"

"You could have been lost in the woods then both of you would have been missing" Mia argued

"I was fine" Punk said bitterly

"If she was in the woods the dogs would have found her" Mia told him

"You mean her body?" Punk asked her

"No" Mia said sadly

"It's what you meant" Punk said to her "Everyone thinks she's already gone"

"No one does" Mia said to him

"So let me go out there and look for her" Punk argued "She needs me"

"There's nothing you can do" Mia pointed out again "You can't just go beat people up and hope to get answers"

"Could you just leave me alone?" He asked as nicely as possible

"I'm worried about you- we all are" Mia told him

"You should be worried for AJ" Punk said to her

"We are" Mia said softly

"Just give me some time" he said then turned his back on his sister.

"Ok" Mia said quietly then left him alone.

Punk walked over to the chair in his room and picked up AJ's jersey that had been given back to him after the failed search. He pressed the shirt to his face in hopes her scent was still there despite being outside and faintly it was still there.

"_Did you try it on?" Punk asked as he waited by the door in his Blackhawks jersey._

"_Yes, what do you think?" she asked appearing at the top of the steps in the small jersey Punk had purchased for her._

"_Hot" He said eyeing her "The jersey looks good too" he added and she smirked walking down the stairs "I was afraid it was too big but it actually fits" he said tugging on it_

"_You got me a children's jersey" She pointed out folding her arms_

"_Yea you're super tiny" he said happily "Not that I need to save money but buying you stuff in children's sizes saves a few bucks"_

"_I want an adult one next time" AJ warned him_

"_No this is your jersey you have to wear this exact one every time you go to a game" Punk told her seriously "Especially if they win"_

"_But I want a big persons jersey" she pouted cutely causing him to smile immediately_

"_You look great" he assured her "And I like your size, embrace it"_

"_You don't think I'm too short for you?" she asked him _

"_No" he said without hesitation _

"_What happens when I get older and start to shrink?" she asked him "Imagine how short I'll be when I'm in my seventies or eighties"_

"_I can't wait" He said with a broad smile "I'll be able to put you in my pocket and carry you around that way. Talk about saving money? I won't even have to get you a seat at games!" _

"_Oh please you won't even remember who I am because by the time I'm in my eighties you'll be in the nursing home" she teased _

"_You act like I'm twenty years older than you" he said to her "Besides I'm a firm believer in you're only as old as you feel and you are going to keep me nice and young my entire life" _

* * *

AJ was in the bathroom trying to keep her eyes opened but some blood had dropped by her eyes from one of her many cuts and abrasions and it crusted over her eyes slightly. She was also in so much pain that even if she managed to break free of her restraints she wouldn't get very far, her ribs were killing her, her legs were numb, her head hurt and even though she was sitting the room was spinning. She also hadn't eaten in almost three days so she was very, very weak. She was now positive she was going to starve to death before Daniel followed through with his threat to kill her.

AJ cringed when she heard the front door open then close, Daniel promised he'd be back tonight and sure enough he appeared in the doorway with a brown paper bag. He smiled as he placed the bag on the floor and walked over to the tub and took a seat on the ledge of the tub and removed the tape from her small mouth.

"Sorry hope that didn't burn" Daniel teased. AJ knew no matter what she said Daniel wouldn't let her go or leave so she just wouldn't speak. "Tired?" he asked but she looked away from him "I bet you're really thirsty" he said and that totally caught her attention. "I've got something for you in my bag" he said to her shaking the bag "Tell me you're thirsty"

"I'm thirsty" she rasped out and watched as Daniel pulled out a bottle of water and if she had any moisture in her mouth she would be sure she'd be drooling at the sight of it.

"Beg" Daniel requested. AJ didn't want to ask or beg Daniel for anything.

"Please Daniel" she said as sweetly as possible

"I don't think you really want it" he said unscrewing the top and tilted the bottle over the tub so a few drops would fall short of her face. Her tongue darted out but she couldn't catch it. "Come on AJ" he teased

"Please Daniel" she said holding back tears "I am so thirsty"

"Cry" he told her coldly "I want you to cry for it" and at that moment AJ began to cry, he was truly trying to break her and it was working.

"Please, please I'm begging you Daniel" AJ sobbed "I am so thirsty and hungry"

"Remember when you were a poor girl from New Jersey?" Daniel asked her "You went longer without eating before"

"Daniel" She said trying not to cry too hard

"Ok fine I'm convinced" he said putting the top back on the water bottle

"The water" she said eyeing the bottle as if it was a pot of gold

"I got you something better" Daniel said pulling out a bottle of vodka "This way when they find your body they'll think you were out partying"

"No" she said shaking her head

"I saw you at Ray's" Daniel reminded her "Drinking like a fish, dancing like a slut. Drink up" he said opening the bottle and pressing it to her lips "Come on AJ drink up" he encouraged getting the bottle in and pouring the liquor down her throat. She immediately spit it up but Daniel grabbed a fistful of her hair and tilted her head so far back AJ was sure it would snap and poured the vodka down her throat. AJ could feel the vomit reaching her throat and Daniel let her go so she could throw up the drink he had just tossed down her throat. "What a waste" he said to AJ

"Can I have the water?" she asked him hoping he would at least give her a sip

"Sure" Daniel said simply and grabbed the water but stood up. He placed the bottle of water on the sink so it was in clear view of AJ but far out of her reach. "Just get up and get it"

"You are sick" AJ said disgusted "I take back what I said I do hope Punk kills you and I hope he takes his time" that earned AJ a hard slap causing her cheek to smack into the tub

"That's not going to happen" Daniel told her "Well I have to get out of here. I'm having dinner with Maria then I plan on spending the night inside her warm tight little body" he said smugly "I'll be back later tonight or in the morning or tomorrow evening" he said unsurely placing a fresh piece of tape over her mouth then over her eyes. "Depends on how I'm feeling, enjoy sweetie" AJ could feel him kiss the top of her head then heard the door close and lock.

* * *

Punk forced his family to leave the house because he couldn't stand the sympathetic looks or the forced conversation. More importantly he couldn't stand the fact that so many people were just standing around, it was doing nothing to help find AJ. And the fact that AJ will be gone for a total of three days his fear was starting to turn into anger. He started upstairs in AJ's face and pulled down all of the shelves he put in for her, tossed all of her books on the floor, broke her glass computer desk, her lamp- everything was fair game.

Punk then headed downstairs on his rage and was focusing on the living room just as he walked over to his TV he heard the doorbell and groaned. He stormed over to the door and swung it open and almost punched the man who had the nerve to ring his bell.

"Don't slam the door in my face" Randy warned "This is about AJ"

"What?" Punk asked almost desperate enough to believe anything Randy had to say about her.

"That creepy guy with the beard…I know the police think he's a suspect in both AJ &amp; Celeste's murders-" Randy started

"AJ isn't dead" Punk reminded him in a low voice

"Right of course" Randy said to him "I've seen him"

"Congratulations" Punk mocked "When you see AJ you can come back here" He said starting to close the door but Randy put his foot in the door.

"I keep going back to Celeste and AJ's old place because I feel close to Celeste there and I know they're having trouble selling it because no one wants to live in a murder home" Randy started "I've seen him there" and that did peek Punk's interests

"When?" Punk asked him

"Twice the last two days and earlier I saw him go in with a grocery bag" Randy told him "I know he's not legally living there and I know he's not spending the night there, it's like he's checking in on something or someone"

"Is he there now?" Punk asked turning away but not closing the door as he grabbed his keys and jacket

"No he left" Randy told him "You're just going to go there? You don't even have a key to get in there"

"If there's even a slight chance that AJ is in there I don't need a key I'll kick in the fucking door" Punk said to him as he walked right past him and headed to his car.

* * *

It was dark out as Punk approached Celeste and AJ's old home. He walked straight to the door and tried to open the door but it was locked, before going crazy and breaking in he walked around the place to scope it out. He peered into Celeste's old bedroom window and saw it was empty and nothing in sight then over to AJ's old window and again everything seemed undisturbed. There were no lights on and there was a pretty big chance that Randy was just trying to get Punk's hopes up but he decided the risk was worth it and walked back to the front door.

Punk began to kick at the door and AJ could hear the noise from the bathroom and knew it wasn't Daniel since he wouldn't want to cause a scene, maybe the police had found her? Or better yet Punk? She tried to scream but it was impossible to be heard being gagged.

"Step away from the door sir" a man said from behind Punk.

"Fuck" he muttered and turned around to see two uniformed officers standing at the top of the lawn with guns drawn "It's not what it looks like"

"Hands in the air" the officer ordered and Punk slowly raised his hands

"My wife is in there" Punk told them

"You and your wife live here?" the officer asked

"No" Punk said

"On your knees" the officer ordered "Hands on your head"

"My wife is missing and she might be in there" Punk told them and that's when the officers got a good look at him

"Oh shit" the one officer said then lowered his gun and nodded for the other officer to do the same thing "Phil Brooks"

"Yes" Punk said to them "I need to get in there I think my wife is in there"

"I don't want to arrest you" the officer said to him "The neighbors called and complained about you lurking around. No one has been to this house in months but you"

"Someone saw-" Punk started

"Your wife inside?" the officer asked

"Well no" Punk admitted

"Come on" the officer said to him "You're wasting your time. We need you to leave the property"

"Fine" Punk said giving in "But I'm calling Steve Austin and he's going to get a warrant for here"

"Good let the police handle this" The officer encouraged and Punk rolled his eyes

"Oh fuck off" Punk muttered as he walk to his car. Clearly the officers weren't going to leave until Punk did so he began to drive back towards home.

Punk would drive all the way home if he had to but he planned on going right back to the home and kicking in the door and searching for AJ even if it meant he would be arrested. Punk still wasn't sure he believed Randy but that was before Punk was stopped at a red light and saw a car turn and drive in the direction towards AJ's old place, it was Maria's car but Daniel was behind the wheel. That would explain how Daniel kept sneaking off, he was using Maria's car. Punk had to get back to that house tonight.

Punk drove back to the home once the police gave up on following him and slowly drove up to the front of the house. Maria's car was nowhere in sight but there was now a light on in the living room and he knew something was going on. Punk undid his seatbelt and without any plan or protection at all he marched right up to the front door and thankfully whoever was in there left the door unlocked…


	42. Panic Attack

**Panic Attack**

* * *

Punk slowly and quietly opened the front door and stepped inside with ease. He saw a light on in Celeste's old room and practically tiptoed towards the bedroom and peeked and saw someone inside and quickly rushed them and pushed them to the ground.

"What the fuck!" Randy yelled

"What are you doing!" Punk yelled climbing off of him

"I came here because I saw the police scare you off!" Randy yelled coming to his feet "I waited for them to leave and snuck in"

"How did you get in?" Punk asked him

"I still have a key" Randy said holding up the key. It hit Punk that he too still had a key but he couldn't worry about that right now. He'd beat himself up over that later.

"Is she here?" Punk asked him

"I only made it into here before you tackled me" Randy said annoyed.

Punk raced out of the room and across the hall to AJ's old room and again it was empty. There weren't many other places for her to be in here except for a few closets and the bathroom. Punk reached for the doorknob of the bathroom and was surprised it was locked.

"Why is this locked?" Punk asked Randy

"I don't know" Randy said to him "That's weird though"

"Move" Punk instructed and Punk kicked in the door.

Punk thought he was dreaming when he saw AJ lying in the bathtub or at least having a nightmare, she looked horribly and he wasn't even sure she was alive.

"Jesus" Randy muttered

"Call an ambulance" Punk instructed and ran to AJ's side and ripped the tape off of her mouth first.

"Please, please don't hurt-" AJ started

"It's me" Punk sweet assuring voice caused AJ to freeze. He then removed the tape from her eyes slowly and carefully and she cried upon seeing him.

"Phil" she said with a sob

"Shh" he said as he moved to her wrists and began to remove the restraints there. "It's ok"

"I need that" she said weakly

"What? What do you need?" he asked now moving down her ankles and ripping the tape off of them. She nodded towards the full bottle of water sitting on the sink. "Ok, ok" he said reaching over and grabbing it. He took the top off and cradled the back of her head and pressed the bottle gently to her lips. She as dying of thirst and even though she was weak she was downing the water. "Easy" he instructed her

"So thirsty" she said to him once she finished the water

"I'll get you more" Punk said and looked towards Randy "Fill that up" he said giving the bottle to Randy

"Help me out" she said trying to lift herself

"No" he said keeping her down

"I'm lying in my own vomit, sweat and filth- please" she begged crying

"You're hurt you can't move just yet" Punk said grabbing her hand

"Here" Randy said passing Punk the bottle of water he refilled in the kitchen sink

"He's going to come back" AJ warned him

"He's not coming back" Punk promised her

"He said he would" she said weakly

"I'm her now" He told her still holding the back of her head

"Good" She said with a weak smile "I want to go home" she said looking at him

"I know and you will" he promised

"Right now I need to get out of here" AJ said to him "I'm so tired"

"You're bleeding" Punk informed her "You're bruised and you probably have a concussion" he told her and she seemed surprised "I can see in your eyes you're not right you need to just sit here a little bit longer and I promise I'll take you home as soon as I can" she just nodded slowly and started to close her eyes "I do need you to stay awake" he said to her

"Ok, ok" she said trying to open her eyes

"Where is that ambulance?" Punk asked looking back at Randy

"They're on their way" Randy said to him "I'll wait outside for them"

"You have to know something about Daniel" AJ said as it finally hit her

"I know all about him" Punk said to her "Elliot told me everything"

"He hates you" AJ cried "I'm scared for you"

"I'm good sweetheart" he smiled "I am so unbelievingly good you have no idea. You have no idea how much I've missed you"

* * *

At the hospital Punk was glued to his chair just as she was when he was there. He had gone over all over her injuries with the doctor and even though it made him sick to his stomach he was relieved she was going to be all right. With the blood cleaned off of her face and the rest of her body he could see her two bruised eyes from the broken nose she had, the bruise and handprints on her cheek, the abrasions around her wrists from being bound for days but when he looked at her all he saw was the most beautiful woman he had ever met- despite the ugliness that happened to her.

"I heard the news" Elliot said walking into AJ's private upscale hospital room.

"She's going to be ok" he said holding her hand "But she's tired, doctor said she'll be sleeping for a little"

"I imagine she's probably exhausted" Elliot noted and frowned when he stepped closer and saw the damage to his daughter-in-law. "Daniel took off, tied Maria up and stole her car"

"Is she ok?" Punk asked still looking at his wife

"Yea she's ok" Elliot told him

"Good. The rest doesn't matter" Punk said to him "All that matters is that I have her back. I'll deal with Daniel later"

"You can finally rest" Elliot said placing a hand on his shoulder

"Don't even try to convince me to go home" Punk warned him

"No of course not" Elliot assured him "But your mind can at least have a little peace"

"It does" Punk said relieved

"There's a large group outside in the waiting room here for moral support" Elliot told him

"I know but uh- I kind of just want to have her to myself for a little" Punk said finally looking over to him "She's had a rough few days and I don't want her overwhelmed"

"I understand so do they, they're just here because they want to be close" Elliot told him

"Look what he did to her" Punk said to Elliot "She reminds me of my mom" he admitted and Elliot frowned "When my dad would drink so much and just wale on her. I guess I know which parent he takes after, still trying to figure out who I take after"

"I think you're more of Jennifer" Elliot said to him

"That's not what I meant" Punk said to him

"It's true" Elliot said to him "Stuff like this isn't passed through bloodline. Some people are just born sick in the head. You're the product of how you're raised and I see Jennifer in you"

"He must be really sick in the head because he didn't just beat her he tortured her" Punk said to him "There was this bottle of water sitting on the sink just out of arm reach to her. Doctors said there was alcohol in her blood as well. She was starving and thirsty so he poured vodka down her throat until she threw up"

"He's going to pay for it" Elliot promised

"I want to do the same thing to him" Punk said honestly

"When I first walked in here you were solely focused on your wife and that's what you need to worry about right now" Elliot told him "Physically she's ok but this was very traumatic for her. It's going to take a long time for her to move past this"

"I'll make sure she does" Punk said gripping her hand a little tighter

"I know" Elliot said with a light smile placing a hand on his shoulder

* * *

The next morning when AJ opened her eyes the first thing she noticed was that there was a light and she was sure she was dead, Daniel had come back and finished her off but then she saw something else and it was the very worried face of her husband and relief ran threw her body.

"Hi" Punk said almost fearfully

"Hi" she replied weakly "Hospital?"

"Yea" he said to her "And you're ok" he told her and she nodded

"I don't remember how I got here" AJ admitted

"You don't have to remember anything" Punk told her "You're here and getting better that's what you have to worry about"

"I remember being with Daniel" AJ said to him "Oh my god Phil you have to know something about him" she clearly didn't remember speaking to him last night

"I know" He said to her "Elliot told me everything"

"I'm sorry I just wanted to help you" she said to him

"You did" Punk said with a weak smile "And now I'm going to help you"

"You found me?" AJ asked him

"Yea with some help" Punk admitted

"I knew you would" she smiled softly "You always find me"

"And I always will" he promised lifting her hand that was still wrapped around his and kissed her knuckles gently

"I don't know what day it is" AJ said confused "Or how long I've been gone"

"I don't know what day it is either" He admitted with half a smile "And you were gone long enough"

"Helpful" she laughed lightly but placed her hands over her torso "Ok that hurts"

"You're going to hurt for a little bit" Punk told her "You're going to have to take it really easy and I guess try not to laugh"

"I want to go home" AJ said looking over to him

"And you will" Punk promised "But you know what would get you home quicker? Resting" and she rolled her eyes

"Oh no I'm going to miss the club opening, or have I missed it already?" she asked concerned

"The club opening won't happen until you're good and ready" Punk said to her "I've postponed it"

"But that's going to set us so far back-" she started

"AJ you need to not worry about anything but yourself right now" He warned sternly "You were very badly hurt you need to let me worry about the club and other things"

"Did the police get Daniel at least?" AJ asked him "I'll sleep much better at night knowing he can't get to you"

"It's me you're worried about?" he asked amused

"Of course" She said confused "I'm always worried about you"

"We're both safe" He said not having the heart to tell her that Daniel was on the run

"I remember him talking about Celeste you were right" She said to him

"AJ I really don't want to discuss Daniel" he admitted with a sigh "It's exhausting to think about and all I want to do is bask in the joy of having you back"

"Ok" she agreed "I dreamt you'd find me" she admitted with a soft smile "You really are my hero"

"I'm no hero" Punk said to her "If I was I wouldn't have let this happen to begin with"

"You can't control people honey" AJ reminded him "I thought we were basking in me?" she teased "How about you sit there and list the reasons you love me to relax yourself" she joked

"Easy" Punk smiled warmly

* * *

Later that night Punk was on a coffee break but still not stepping foot out of the hospital.

"Mia is in with her" Dean said as he took a seat next to Punk in the waiting area

"You didn't want to see her?" Punk asked him

"I did but uh-" Dean started and shook his head

"I know she's had better days" Punk agreed

"Seeing any woman like that pisses me off but I know AJ" Dean said with a shrug "I feel guilty"

"Why?" Punk asked him

"I don't know I just do" Dean said to him "I think we all do. Devon even went on and on about how he treated AJ when you two announced you got married. Mia was beating herself up for not listening to you at her birthday and forget Maria she won't even leave her house"

"It's no ones fault" Punk said to him "Except for Daniel Bryans"

"You mean Daniel Brooks?" Dean corrected

"Don't remind me" Punk said bitterly sipping on his coffee and that's when Roman stepped off the elevator with a large bouquet of flowers.

"Wow" Dean said impressed

"My daughter picked them out" Roman smirked "She met AJ for five minutes and it's all she talks about when I see her. She even made her a card" he said passing Punk the hand written in crayon card and he smiled at it as he read it

"AJ is going to love it" Punk grinned passing it back to Roman "Thanks for coming by"

"No sweat and I'll be here until she goes home and when she's home I'll be there too" Roman promised him "I won't let her out of my sight"

"I think that might make her crazy but she'll have to deal with it" Punk said to him

"What are we doing about Daniel?" Dean asked in a whisper

"I'm trying to focus on AJ at the moment" Punk admitted "But I want every available resource looking for him and I don't want him hurt I want him bought to me in one piece"

"He's your brother man" Dean reminded him

"No" Punk shook his head "Devon is my brother. You two are my brothers" he corrected "Daniel Bryan is nothing to me but a dean man walking"

"Aren't you curious about him?" Dean asked

"I'm curious as to why he likes to beat women up but not curious enough to bother asking him" Punk shrugged "If I have questions about him I know where to get them"

"Where's that?" Roman asked

"The state prison" Punk said to him "I'll just go see my real dad and hope he didn't get his head bashed in yet. But I'll do that when AJ is home and I know she's recovering"

AJ was waiting for Punk to come back. She was happy that he stepped out for fresh air but the anxiety she felt with him gone actually startled her. Every time a nurse walked in she jumped slightly. Feeling this way had to change soon because she couldn't live in constant fear, she wouldn't be one of those people who hide away from the world.

"You're up" a familiar voice greeted. Randy Orton was holding a small plant and placed next to all of her other ones.

"Get out" AJ warned fearfully and that's when her heart started to beat rapidly.

"I helped you" Randy laughed stepping closer and AJ began to hit the call button.

"You tried to hurt me before" AJ reminded him pushing the button repeatedly "Get out!" she screamed

"What is going on in here?" A nurse demanded

"He's going to hurt me" AJ cried hysterically "I have a restraining order against him, call the police" she sobbed

"Security!" The nurse shouted sticking her head outside the door and before security arrived Punk did and raced into the room

"Phil make him leave" She begged

"He's not going to hurt you" Punk promised

"I saved your crazy ass!" Randy yelled at her

"Out!" Punk yelled towards Randy pointing to the door

"Should I call the police?" the nurse asked him

"No" He said to her "Just don't let him back in here"

"Phil don't you remember-" she started as her breath became shorter

"What's wrong?" Punk asked placing his hands on her shoulders

"Step aside Mr. Brooks" The nurse instructed and checked over AJ "AJ you have to calm down"

"What's wrong with her?" Punk asked the nurse anxiously

"It's a panic attack" the nurse said to him "It's common"

"He just walked right in here" AJ cried

"It's ok he's gone" The nurse soothed "And look your husband is here" she reminded her and AJ nodded "Just breathe, deep breaths AJ" she encouraged

"I have a short list posted at the nurses station of approved visitors for my wife" Punk reminded the nurse harshly

"He must have snuck past the desk. We don't stop every single person on the floor" she told Punk while trying to relax AJ

"That's not acceptable" Punk seethed

"I'm sorry Mr. Brooks" the nurse said to him as she let go of AJ and faced him

"The list is there for a reason" Punk reminded her "See to it that this doesn't happen again"

"Of course" She said nervously "Do you need anything Mrs. Brooks?"

"No" AJ said shaking her head and the nurse quickly left

"Are you ok?" he asked taking a seat at the edge of her bed

"Last time I checked Randy wasn't supposed to be in contact with me" AJ said to him

"He's not and he shouldn't have come in" Punk agreed "I'll take care of it"

"I know he didn't kill Celeste but he's still scary. I feel like everything scares me" She said running her hands over her tired face

"No one is judging you" Punk said to her

"He said he saved me" AJ said looking at him

"That's a little much" Punk snorted "But he did help. He told me he had seen Daniel at your old place and he was in there when I was looking for you"

"I should apologize and thank him" AJ said quietly

"You don't owe anyone anything" Punk reminded her

"I hate feeling like this" she said crying "You were gone for fifteen minutes and my heart was in my throat the entire time"

"That's ok" Punk assured her

"It's not Phil" she argued shaking her head wiping her own tears "I can't be afraid of everyone and I can't hide behind you forever"

"Sure you can" Punk said with a shrug "I don't mind" He smiled

"I do" she said to him

"You've been back for less than a day. You're going to be shaken and spooked it's normal and natural" Punk told her "It's ok to be afraid"

"You're never afraid" AJ frowned "I wish I was more like you" she whispered to herself

"What?" he asked surprised

"I wish I was as a strong as you, as fearless" she whispered looking away from him ashamed

"Do you have any idea how scared I've been these last few days?" he asked her but she didn't look back at him. He placed his fingers under her chin forcing her to look at him. "I haven't been that scared in my entire life. And I come from an abusive home and you missing is what scared me the most. I wandered into the woods for hours, I destroyed a few rooms of our home, I didn't eat, I didn't sleep- I was too afraid to answer my phone"

"I'm sorry I scared you" she apologized softly as more tears gently escaped her eyes

"You have nothing to apologize for. The point I was trying to make is that it's ok to be scared" he said to her "If you need to hide behind me when you get out of here I'm ok with that. I love you and I'll help you anyway I can. I'm still scared myself but right now it's my job to man up and be fearless for you"

"I love you too" she said to him "You're all I thought about and what kept me going. You saved me and didn't even know it"

"I was going to say the same thing to you" he smiled. Punk very carefully and gently pecked her lips and she rested her forehead against his. "We'll get through this together" he promised her


	43. Time To Heal

**Time To Heal**

* * *

Two weeks since AJ had been home Punk was growing more and more concerned with his wife. Her injuries were healing great and if you were to compare the beating he took to hers- his was much more severe. But mentally AJ was recovering slower. She refused to take a bath and would only shower, she didn't leave the house once since being home except for sitting up on the roof once or twice, she worked on the club from her office and was trying to talk Punk into opening it without her. Punk was also beginning to go stir crazy because he promised to stay by her side until she was ready but being inside was making him slightly crazy.

Punk did get once he went to SXS when there was a water leak and he came back he discovered AJ had locked herself inside their bedroom and hid in the closet until he came back. After that he promised to not leave her by herself again but he had to get her out, normally this would be something Punk loved but she was suffering and he knew how much she loved her independence it's what drew him to her to begin with.

"So I have a confession" Punk said entering her office and she looked up at him

"I'm all ears" She said closing her laptop

"After you went missing I blamed the Blackhawks" Punk told her and she let out a loud laugh

"What? Why?" she asked still giggling

"Because I was watching the game and didn't realize you hadn't come home" Punk said to her "If I wasn't watching it I would have noticed you were gone"

"Wouldn't have changed what happened to me" AJ said to him

"And after the police found your car they needed something that smelt like you for the dogs and I gave them your jersey" Punk also told her "I couldn't watch any games or read about them because it reminded me of you."

"That's silly" She smiled lightly

"I agree" Punk said to her and handed her back her jersey "Don't worry I had it washed"

"What's this for?" AJ asked unsurely

"Well I've missed so much that I didn't even realize they were in game 6 of the finals" Punk told her "And they're playing in Chicago tonight and I have two front row seats"

"Oh" she said feeling her chest tighten "You should go" she said to him "You deserve a night out"

"I want to go with you" Punk said slipping on his own jersey over his t-shirt

"I don't think I'm up for that" she said sweetly "You should ask Devon or Mia"

"I want to go with you" He said taking a seat in the chair across from her new desk that he had replaced

"Phil it's one thing to leave the house it's another to go to a crowded venue" AJ said to him

"You'll be right by my side" Punk promised "I'll hold your hand the entire time and I know you'll have fun"

"What if you have to go to the bathroom?" she asked him

"I'll hold it" he said with a shrug

"I know you're going crazy being in here with me and I really do think you should go I promise to not lock myself in the closet" AJ said to him "Seriously you'll regret it if you don't go"

"I won't have fun without you" Punk told her honestly "An I know you secretly love the Blackhawks just as much as I do"

"I just don't think I can" she said sadly "I'm sorry"

"Ok" Punk said not wanting to push her and stood up.

"But I'd feel better if you went" AJ said to him

"It's fine" He said shooting her smile "I'll probably see it better on TV" he then walked out of her office leaving her jersey there.

Punk was sitting on the couch downstairs still in his jersey waiting for the game to start when he heard AJ come down the stairs.

"You want to order pizza tonight?" he asked not looking at her but the TV "Or are you as sick of it as I am?"

"I want a hotdog" She said to him

"Um can we order those?" he asked thinking about "Because we seriously have no food in the house"

"I was thinking we could get one at the game" she said and he turned and saw she was in jeans and her jersey.

"Babe you don't have to" Punk said looking back at her

"No I want to try" she said confidently "And I really am sick of pizza" She teased "I've been craving a hotdog from the stadium"

"Alright" Punk smiled "I'm proud of you" he said to her turning off the TV and standing up "And if you feel uncomfortable we'll leave" he promised

"Its fine I want to have fun" she said to him "Besides Devon gave me a tazer gun" she said proudly pulling it out of her purse

"I don't think security will let you in with that" Punk chuckled carefully taking it from her "Think you can go without out?"

"Yea I'll be fine" AJ said to him

* * *

Punk held AJ's hand tightly as they reached their seats. He passed her the hotdog she wanted and watched as she munched on it.

"You doing ok?" he asked nervously and she nodded

"It's not as scary as I thought it would be" she admitted "I feel pretty normal"

"Good" he smiled at her.

"Aren't you going to eat your sandwich?" she asked curiously "Are you going to just gawk at me like I have ten heads this entire time?"

"I just want to take in this moment" Punk admitted with a smile

"Ok" she laughed taking another big bite out of her hotdog. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yea" He said smiling

"It's ok if you're a little shaken up too" she told him "I don't know what I would have done if the roles were reversed"

"I just want to move past it" he admitted

"I think tonight is the first night of moving on" AJ told him "I don't have that tightness in my chest, I'm excited for the game and I'm with the man I love. I feel like a million dollars" she told him happily

"You have no idea how happy that makes me" he said to her. She reached over and grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into a kiss, it was the first real kiss they had shared since she returned. The kiss was filled with want and love and it was truly a step in the right direction.

"Thank you for tonight" she said pulling away as her lips brushed his as she spoke since they were both still close.

"Thank you for every night" he smiled then look towards her hotdog "I'm starting to think I should have gotten a hot dog" he said to her "I tasted it on your lips" he smirked

"Ew" She laughed then held it up "Take a bite don't just take from my mouth that's so disgusting"

"I'd take anything from you" he said seriously and took a bite out of it then immediately pressed his mouth to hers causing her to giggled and try to pull away but eventually accepted the kiss.

* * *

The game was amazing. AJ had a wonderful time being out and didn't seem to have much anxiety. Punk seemed to be the most anxious actually as he eyed up every single person he felt was looking at AJ. Everyone was the enemy in his eyes and that's when AJ realized she wasn't the only one with PTSD. Once they had gotten home AJ knew exactly what she wanted but Punk was still trying to be careful with her but AJ wanted this and knew Punk needed it.

"I want to put the fireplace on" AJ told him as they walked into their house. She skipped towards it and Punk eyed her suspiciously.

"It's like seventy degrees out" he pointed out

"I don't care how hot it is out" AJ said to him "I want to lay in front of the fire with my husband."

"Then that's what you get" he smiled walking over and turning it on simply with a switch.

Punk watched as AJ grabbed the blanket from the couch and placed it on the floor in front of it and then grabbed some pillows.

"Go upstairs get changed and comfy" she instructed him

"Ok" he smiled at her

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" AJ asked with a laugh

"It's just nice to have you home" Punk said to her

"I was gone for two days" she reminded him

"Almost three and they were the longest three days of my entire life" Punk admitted

"Well that's the last time we're going to discuss this for a long time because we need to move forward" she told him "I want to move forward and I want you to as well"

"As long as you're ready I am too" he said to her

"I'm ready" she assured him "Now get upstairs and get into some sweats so we can be comfortable as we go over all the new stuff for the club" She said with a smile and even though he tried hard to hide his disappointment. He was hoping they'd reconnect physically tonight but he wasn't going to push anything he was just happy he got her out of the house.

"Alright" Punk smiled and kissed her forehead then headed upstairs.

When Punk came down stairs he saw a few candles set up and looked confused.

"Babe?" he asked

"I'll be right there" she called from the kitchen.

"I brought your laptop down with me" he said sitting on the floor

"Just put it on the table we won't be needing it" she shouted and he did as he was told. He saw her step out of the kitchen in just her small jersey and nothing else but a pair of panties. Now he remembered why he got her the children's size one.

"I thought we'd celebrate the win" she said posing in the doorway causing him to the smile

"Come here" he said waving her over then extended his hand to her. She got to her knees and then moved so she was straddling him but had her legs wrapped his body. "We can wait" he said to her "There's no rush ever"

"I want you" she said placing her arms loosely around his neck and titling her head with a smile.

That's all he needed to hear as he guided her face to his and began to kiss her lips as if it was their last kiss ever. He had learned that any kiss cold be their last so he was going to make the most of every single one of them. It was great to have sex but he was starting to enjoy and appreciate kissing her a lot more and he only learned that when he was void of them.

Punk's hand trailed down her spine over her jersey until he reached the bottom of it and slowly tugged it up over her head and that was the only time their lips separated. AJ nuzzled her lips against his as she felt him grow hard against her and took a moment to just appreciate feeling his want for her. It never failed to turn her on more then to feel his hardness almost trying to ripe threw her panties to get to her.

AJ moved her lips over his jaw line as he held her tightly, she reached down and returned the favor by pulling off his t-shirt now and she hissed slightly feeling their bare chests connected again for the first time in weeks. His hand was ruffled in her hair as he kissed down her neck all the way to her shoulder.

Normally they'd be complimenting each other and boosting their egos but there was no need for that, their bodies spoke for themselves. The way their bodies reacted to each other felt so natural and just went with the flow. When AJ began to roll her hips sensually into his bulge he held her up slightly as they both removed his shorts and boxers. AJ went back to exactly the way she was sitting when she heard the rip to her panties and smiled against his lips. Normally he would play around with her first but he needed to fully be inside of her to heal.

AJ lifted her hips and slowly slid down his shift until she couldn't go any further. She let out such a relieved moan. She could feel Punk's hard member twitching deep inside of her body and looked down briefly to take in the beautiful sight of them being connected again. She could have orgasm just at the very sight but she felt Punk lift her chin so she was looking at him in his eyes. Their mouths, tongues and lips collided again as AJ began to move her hips.

AJ pulled her mouth away when she needed to gasp and moan which she did so lustfully that it drove Punk to push into her harder. He wrapped his one hand gently around her hair so he could crank her neck back slightly and began to leave wet kisses straight down her throat. His mouth kept moving as AJ kept lifting her hips and pushing down on him with ease, he reached her breasts and took her right nipple into his mouth rolling his tongue around the hardened peck and sucking gently on it. AJ bit on her bottom lip to suppress a scream that she was holding in since the moment he was inside of her.

Sitting up and having his arms holding her tightly as he entered her wet and tight core was hot as it was but the fire burning was always causing them to sweat. AJ's hair was dampening around her forehead as Punk moved his mouth back up her body and captured her lips again. AJ wanted to kiss him forever but her senses were everywhere and she wanted to scream and beg him to throw her onto the floor and go as hard as possible but this was sweet, this was the definition of making love.

Punk was the one to pull away this time as he felt his release rapidly approaching and moved his head to rest it on her shoulder but she cupped his face so he was looking directly at her as she came, she wanted him to see how good he made her feel and it only pushed Punk into his own orgasm. She could feel him pouring into her, which drove her absolutely wild. Punk guided AJ onto her back and he covered her body with his own never physically pulling out of her. He wanted to be inside just a little while more.

"So good" he said nuzzling his nose against hers and she smiled sweetly.

"You made me feel so good" she told him "That was amazing, it felt so different."

"Nothing is different" he assured her as he kissed her lips again and she held the back of his head and ran her free threw his hair.

"I want to do it again" she said pulling away as their lips were only inches apart

"I'm not complaining" he smirked "But I don't want to hurt you"

"It's not possible for you to hurt me" AJ said to him "I love you and I want you to love me again and again and again"

"I'll love you for the rest of our lives" he promised her "Forever and always"

Punk and AJ made out like teenagers and fondled each other until Punk grew hard inside of her body again and took her again and again and again just as she requested. Punk had many nights having sex with lots of women but AJ was always his favorite and he sure tonight was the best sex of his life. It wasn't dirty, it wasn't hard it was so much more then that and he couldn't possibly describe it but last night him and AJ connected on a whole new level that he wasn't even sure was possible.

* * *

When AJ woke the next morning she was up in bed and didn't remember coming up here and realized Punk must have carried her up after he exhausted her on their living room floor. She was also wearing one of Punk's shirts and a pair of his boxers and smiled at the thought of him taking the time to clean her up and dress her just so she could be comfortable.

AJ walked down the stairs and heard voices in the kitchen and realized Punk wasn't alone. She didn't care she was in boxers, his shirt and had wild sex hair going on she was going to properly greet her husband. She was relieved when she saw it was Dean and Mia in the kitchen talking to Punk.

"Morning" Mia smiled sipping on a cup of coffee

"Hi guys" AJ smiled at them but walked right towards her husband and pulled him into a searing kiss. "Hi" she smiled pulling away and he had on a wide smile as he looked down at her.

"Hi" he mimicked happily

"How come you don't greet me in the morning like that?" Dean asked looking at Mia

"No talk like that in my house involving my sister" Punk warned wrapping his arm around AJ.

"I heard you two went to the game last night" Mia smiled at them "And clearly you two celebrated the win back at home"

"The game was great" AJ informed her as she leaned into Punk

"We brought you guys some breakfast" Mia said gesturing to the bag of hot fresh bagels. "Also expect mom to be over in an hour to restock your entire kitchen because I took a picture of your empty refrigerator and sent it to her" she warned

"She doesn't have to do that" AJ said to her "She's shopped for us since I've been home"

"She doesn't mind" Mia said to her "It makes her feel helpful"

"I really want to thank you both for being so great to me while I've been recovering" AJ told them

"It's what family does" Dean shrugged casually taking a bite out of his bagel

"He's right" Mia smiled at her "We love you and want to help and just be here"

"Well after getting some fresh air yesterday it's giving me the desire for more of it" AJ admitted and Punk was hoping she'd feel that way. "I want to set a date for the club opening"

"Ok we can do that" Punk said pouring her a cup of coffee and added just the right amount of milk she liked and passed it to her. She thanked him with a smile.

"I also want to see Maria" AJ said and the three others seemed tense. "I'm actually surprised I haven't heard from her at all"

"No one has" Dean said to her "She's keeping her distance"

"Why?" AJ asked confused

"Because she feels guilty" Mia said to her "As she should" She mumbled under breath before sipping her own drink

"You guys can't blame her for this" she said to them but all remained quiet "She didn't know she's as much a victim as I was"

"When she's in the hospital then we'll talk" Punk said to her

"You don't mean that" AJ practically scolded but Punk just shrugged clearly not caring.

"She could have helped" Mia said told her bluntly

"She didn't know" AJ repeated "Come on guys we should call her"

"She could have called you" Punk said to her

"Or stopped by the hospital" Dean added

"She's probably embarrassed" AJ told them "I want to see her"

"If you want I'll invite her to the club opening" Punk offered

"Good" She said happily "So how's SXS doing?" she asked Dean

"Smooth sailing" Dean told her

"No problems with Seth?" AJ asked surprised

"Nada" Dean smirked

"He did come by the club before opening the night you were released from hospital to ask how you were" Mia told her

"How nice" Punk forced out bitterly

"He said AJ's the only Klein who treated him with any form of respect" Dean snorted

"Anything else I've missed out on?" she asked them

"No that's it" Mia told her "But Dean and I have to go we're looking at apartments today"

"You're moving in together?" AJ asked with a grin

"Yea" Mia said to him "I've been trying to get Dean to live with me for months but he insisted on waiting until he had more stability at work which he got"

"I'm a man, I want to pay the bills" Dean said smugly standing up

"If I had known promoting you met you'd be shacking up with my sister I wouldn't have done it" Punk told him sarcastically

"Too late now" Mia said giving Punk a kiss on the cheek then hugging AJ "We'll stop by tomorrow"

"Bye guys" Dean waved as Mia pulled him away

"So you seem to be having a good morning" Punk noted

"I'm very happy" AJ said to him "I realized how lucky I am" she admitted "What happened sucked but it could have been worse and I want to live every day to the fullest"

"That's a great way of looking at things" Punk said to her "But I don't really think the Hawks game changed your mind this dramatically, what's really going on?"

"You do know me well" AJ said to him

"So spill" Punk sighed as he tucked her hair behind her ear "What's going on in that beautiful mind of yours?"

"Ok" she said taking him by the hand and sitting him at the kitchen table and took the seat next to him. "I really thought I was going to die. I mean I was ninety percent sure my life was over while I was bound and gagged-"

"I don't need a description" Punk said holding up his hand and closing his eyes. He wouldn't even listen to AJ give her statement to the police, he truly didn't want all of the details and AJ didn't blame him.

"Anyway I was thinking I could die at any moment" AJ blurted out and he looked at her like he was crazy "I want to live my life to the fullest everyday with you"

"And we will" Punk promised

"I want a family" she said nervously but smiling at the same time

"We are a family" He laughed

"No I mean I want a baby" she told him excitedly "I know we agreed to wait but do we really have that kind time?" Punk turned pale and looked ready to pass out.

"Um" Punk started not really sure what to say or how to respond

"I'm not saying tomorrow or anything but I'd like to start trying" AJ said with a hopeful smile "What do you think?"

"I think you went through something horrible" Punk said to her "And I don't think you're really over it yet" he told her honestly "I don't think you really know what you want"

"I want this" she said to him "I want to have a baby before it's too late"

"You shouldn't have a baby because you're afraid" Punk said seriously "That's not the right reason"

"So that's a no?" she asked

"No- I don't know AJ" he said to her confused "I'm a little caught off guard because we discussed this after we got married and agreed to wait."

"I know but life changes" AJ reminded him "Priorities change"

"I think you should really think about this" he suggested trying not to hurt her feelings "Having a baby changes everything and deciding to have one shouldn't be something you decide over night. I mean you wouldn't even leave the house up until last night and now you want to bring a life into this world that's clearly very screwed up and dark"

"It sounds like you don't want to have a child ever" AJ noted

"I didn't say that" Punk reminded her calmly "All I want is for you to think about what happened and really think if having a child at this moment is the right thing to do"

"I know the world is dark and scary" AJ said to him "We both had horrible childhoods but you yourself showed up how bright it could also be" she said and he couldn't help but half smile at that

"Just think about it" Punk requested "There won't be late night club nights, not many ladies nights, no sleeping in or ever" he pointed out

"I have thought about it" AJ defended

"When did you decide this?" Punk asked curiously

"Last night" she told him and he laughed

"Yea I think you need a little more time to think about it" Punk said still laughing

"Ok deal I'll think about it only if you do too" AJ said to him

"My mind hasn't changed AJ" Punk said to her "I'd personally like to wait"

"How long?" AJ asked him

"A few more years" He told her honestly and she just tried to her disappointment "But if it's something you really want after careful consideration we'll work something out"

"I don't want to have a baby with someone who doesn't want one Phil" AJ told him bluntly "I want our child to be loved and feel wanted"

"When we have a baby and I say when because it will happen I will love he or she completely" Punk assured her

"How could we work out having a baby if I want one and you don't?" AJ questioned and he didn't have a response for that. "It's ok" she said to him "We'll wait"

"AJ-" he started but she stood up abruptly

"Really it was a crazy idea and maybe it is just part of this PTSD or something" She said to him "Forget I even mentioned it" Punk could tell she was embarrassed and hurt as she rushed out of the kitchen.


	44. Face to Face

**Face to Face**

* * *

AJ was sitting the passenger side of Roman's large and dark SUV. She look towards the small home which she had been doing for ten minutes now contemplating on getting out.

"You don't have to do this you know" Roman told her. Roman had to be one of the most patient people AJ had ever met and when she wasn't with Punk she felt safest with Roman.

"No I do" AJ said firmly "I just need a second" she admitted "I know it's crazy, I know nothing is going to happen. I mean you don't see anyone lurking in the bushes right?" she teased

"No" he smirked "It's ten in the morning no one is lurking and if they were I'd snap their neck" he replied calmly but AJ eyed him

"Why do I feel like you're not kidding?" she asked

"Because I'm not" he replied seriously "Seriously though you don't have to talk to her"

"I want to" AJ admitted "And I don't want her to feel bad"

"She'll come around" Roman said to her "When she cheated on Devon with Punk she did the same thing. She'll come around and when she does no matter what Punk or the rest of Klein's say they'll welcome her back with open arms because they're good people"

"I'm worried about her" AJ told him "Ok I'm going" she said opening the car door but didn't step out yet "You'll be here right?"

"Of course" Roman assured her "I'll go in with you if you'd like"

"No it's ok" AJ smiled then stepped out of the car and walked right to Maria's front door and knocked softly three times before the door opened. "Hi" AJ greeted with a nervous smile. Before AJ could say anything else Maria threw her arms around AJ. Once she pulled away AJ felt better "Can I come in?"

"Of course" Maria said stepping aside and letting AJ in, before she went in AJ looked over her shoulder to glance at Roman who nodded towards her. "I know why you're here" she said closing the door "And I deserve what horrible thing you're going to say to me"

"That's not why I'm here" AJ said taking a seat on her couch "I'm here because I miss you"

"AJ you don't have to come here and be nice to me" Maria said to her

"Why wouldn't I be nice?" AJ asked "You didn't hurt me"

"I didn't help you either" Maria pointed out "I feel stupid, I'm embarrassed and I let you down. I let the everyone down"

"How could you have known?" AJ shrugged

"Punk told me" Maria laughed bitterly "Even when you were gone I still stood by Daniel and I barely knew him."

"I know Daniel or at least I used to know him very well" AJ admitted "And he's charming. You're not the only one to fall for him I did myself"

"I feel so bad" Maria said sitting next to her "Everyone was so mad at me" she confided "Mia wouldn't return my calls, Devon screamed at me and he didn't even yell at me that way when I cheated on him"

"They were scared" AJ reasoned "You can't hold that against them"

"I don't blame them" Maria said to her "I deserve worse"

"No you don't and that's why I'm here" AJ started off and reached into her purse and handed her a small envelope.

"What's this?" Maria asked opening

"It's an invite to the soft opening of the new club" AJ told her "It's invite only and I wanted to personally bring you the invitation"

"I can't go" Maria said passing it back to her

"Just hold onto it and think about it" she said refusing to take it back from her

"I don't think I'd be welcome there" Maria admitted

"You're more than welcome" AJ said to her standing up "We all want you there. It's Saturday night so you still have a few days to think about it but I'd really appreciate it if you would come"

"I can't make any promises" Maria warned

"Just think about it" AJ insisted and she nodded

"I'm really glad you're ok" Maria said to her "You are ok right?"

"Yea I'm very lucky" AJ smiled then walked out her door.

* * *

Punk was sitting in a small room with is hands folded over a cold medal table. His nametag read 'Phil' and he was actually growing anxious as he waited for the inmate to make his way into the room. Punk was already regretting making the hour-long trip out here and figured he wouldn't get much information from his biological father. Punk looked up when he saw the scrawny man with white hair enter the room in his orange jumpsuit.

"You're not my lawyer" the man said taking a seat as his hands were still shackled together

"Do I look a lawyer?" Punk snapped back

"You look like you should be on the other side of this table" the man told him bluntly then smirked. Punk tried not to be alarm by the fact he smirked the same exact way he would. "I'll bite what do you want?"

"You don't remember me?" Punk asked unimpressed

"I didn't ask who you are son, I asked what you wanted" the man quipped back "You really think I wouldn't recognize my own kid?"

"Not your only kid though" Punk noted "Forgot to mention that to me huh?"

"That little mistake has come back to haunt ya?" Punk's father laughed

"This isn't a joke Arlo" Punk warned "I want to know about him"

"Just pay him off" Arlo said to Punk "Give him whatever he wants and he'll go away"

"Why did you give him up?" Punk asked him

"Do you remember the way we lived or how hard it was to get by?" Arlo questioned

"Maybe if you didn't drink away all of the money you could have kept him" Punk said to him "And how much does it cost to sell a kid?"

"I have no comment on that" Arlo said to him holding up his wrists to remind him he was already in jail "I'm for parole soon I don't want to jinx anything"

"Society would be lucky to have you back" Punk remarked sarcastically

"What are you so bitter about?" Arlo asked annoyed "You had a great life with Elliot"

"I'm bitter because your past mistakes are still haunting me" Punk shot at him

"You have more than enough money to send him on his way" Arlo said to him

"He doesn't want money" Punk said to him

"Well I think he's a little old for Elliot to adopt him" Arlo chuckled

"He's been stalking me" Punk told him "He kidnapped my wife and tortured her"

"Wife?" Arlo asked amused "You?" he asked laughing

"I tell you that your bastard son kidnapped and tortured a woman and you're hung up on the fact that I'm married?" Punk asked annoyed

"I'm surprised" Arlo shrugged "I actually thought you were gay"

"This was a mistake" Punk mumbled

"Is your wife ok?" Arlo asked trying to sound serious

"I'm not here about her I'm here about Daniel" Punk told him

"They kept his name" Arlo nodded "Eh he went to a rich family just like you did. Not nearly as rich as the Klein's, but who is? I've never heard a thing about him since the day he left"

"You didn't look into the type of family he was going to?" Punk asked him "You didn't think of consequences?"

"I never did" Arlo reminded him "You know that. Tell me about your wife" he insisted

"No" Punk said to him

"What's her name? I'm sure she's pretty, you have a picture?" Arlo asked a little too anxiously

"You're never going to know my wife" Punk told him "You'll never see her or meet her"

"I don't know I'll be back soon" Arlo reminded him

"Not back in my life" Punk said to him "Daniel is just like you"

"I never kidnapped anyone" Arlo defended

"You used to hit mom" Punk reminded him "And your next wife and then the next wife as well"

"So he got some of my genes" Arlo said simply "Unfortunate for him but what can you do?"

"You don't even care" Punk remarked shaking his head "Nothing is bothering you at all"

"I am bothered my two boys aren't getting along" Arlo joked "And stop acting like you're better than me or your baby brother for that matter. I know you've had run-ins with the law but the difference between us and you is that you had Elliot Klein to hide behind and we didn't"

"I never hit a woman" Punk said to him

"Oh well that erases anything else you have ever done in your life" Arlo replied dramatically "You're a Brooks and no amount of money is ever going to change that" he reminded Punk "Our blood is the same and you're destined to end up here just like me and just like your stupid brother"

"I'm done" Punk said glancing back towards the guard who was supervising inside

"You don't get the running away thing from me" Arlo snorted "That must be an unfortunate quality from your mother along with being weak and stupid"

Punk did his best to show the dig didn't bother him because he didn't want Arlo to know it did bother him. He looked back towards the older man as he was hauled out of the room and realized he was right. How could Punk even consider having a child with AJ knowing that he would end up like Arlo?

* * *

Punk drove straight to the Klein house for an impromptu dinner thrown together to officially celebrate AJ's safe homecoming. He really wasn't in the mood to celebrate much of anything after meeting with Alro but he was going to be there with a smile on his face to support AJ who was now getting out more and more. He wanted Daniel found and this entire mess put behind them but his soul concern was to get AJ out of her funk and help her move on, he'd worry about Daniel later.

When Punk walked inside he saw AJ sitting on the couch with Devon who was handing her something.

"You just take the cap off and push down" He said showing her

"Stop giving my wife weapons" Punk warned referring the mase he was handing her "If the police ever search her they'd think she was a terrorist"

"I'm just being helpful" Devon defended as AJ stood up and greeted Punk with a kiss

"Where have you been all day?" she asked him

"I had to get a few things in order" Punk shrugged "Having fun?"

"Yes and waiting on you" AJ said to him "Oh I brought the invitations for the club opening but they have to be personally delivered because they'll never make it on time"

"You want me to personally drop off mail to people?" Punk smirked "This is what we hire people for" he said to her

"Yea well I was thinking you could ask someone to do it" she shrugged

"You're the boss too" he reminded her "But I'll take care of it, where are they?" he asked and she passed him a few of them

"What?" Punk asked going through the names on the envelopes "No" he said shaking his head then read the next name "No way" he then flipped through more "No chance in hell"

"What's wrong with the people I invited?" AJ asked him

"What's wrong with John Cena?" Punk asked her holding up his envelope

"His wife still works at SXS" AJ defended

"Randy?" Punk asked holding up the next

"He helped save my life" AJ reminded him

"And this one has to be joke" Punk said passing her the one with Seth Rollins name on it

"I want our business rival there" AJ said to him "It's like getting inside of his head and I've already spoken to Mia about it and she's totally fine with it"

"I'm not" Punk said to her

"We're celebrating" AJ reminded him "I'm alive and happy and I want even the people I like to see that I'm still standing"

"We'll talk about it later" Punk said putting them down

"You say that a lot lately" AJ teased then walked back over to Devon

"Hi baby" Jennifer smiled greeting Punk with a kiss "I didn't know you got here"

"Yea sorry I'm late" Punk said to her

"You're just in time but first can you help me move something in the kitchen?" Jennifer asked

"Yea" Punk said following her in

"Just move the table a little to the left?" Jennifer asked

"Sure" Punk said moving the table slightly

"I asked your father to do it and he swore it was in the right spot but I know it's not right" Jennifer said to him "He's so stubborn sometimes"

"Yea" Punk mumbled

"What's on your mind?" Jennifer asked as she prepared a salad

"Nothing" Punk lied

"Don't lie to me" Jennifer warned "I know you pretty well by now and I know something is eating at you"

"I really don't want to discuss it" Punk admitted

"Is it about AJ?" Jennifer asked concerned "She seems better. I figured you'd be over the moon"

"I am" Punk said with a genuine smile "Her progress is amazing"

"So what's bothering you?" Jennifer asked him again

"AJ wants to have a baby" Punk said and Jennifer's eyes immediately lit up with joy "I don't"

"Oh" Jennifer said slightly taken back

"She thinks life is short and we should do it while we can" Punk confided

"She's not wrong" Jennifer agreed "But what's holding you back?"

"I was hoping to get more time with her and having it be just us" Punk told her

"That's not the real reason" Jennifer said to him already knowing "You're not selfish like that"

"I think she's jumping the gun too" Punk told her "She's still in shock. She may want a baby today but tomorrow change her mind"

"I don't know, once you get baby fever it's hard to get rid of it" Jennifer warned "What else is wrong? I can see it in your eyes"

"I went to see Arlo" Punk told her and she nodded

"And you see yourself in Arlo?" Jennifer mocked "You really think you'd be the kind of father Arlo was to you?"

"It's in my blood" Punk reminded her

"I am so sick of hearing that" Jennifer scolded "He may have created you but I raised you. And I know I did a damn good job at it." She told him sternly

"Look at Daniel- he is a mini me Arlo" Punk pointed out

"First of all Arlo has done a lot of terrible things in his life but he's never done what Daniel did" Jennifer pointed out "You are the product of how you were raised not of where you came from. I'm not telling you what to do here because it's not my business but if you don't my opinion I think you'd be an amazing father" she said casually as she tossed the salad. "Raising children isn't about having money or what your past was like it's about having heart and you and AJ having the biggest hearts I have ever seen in my life. You two love each other like no one else I have ever seen or even seen in movies and I know there's plenty of room in there for a child"

"Daniel is still out there" Punk reminded her "What if he tried to take my kid like he did AJ?"

"Maybe it's not AJ who isn't thinking clearly and is in shock maybe it's you" Jennifer pointed out innocently

"No" Punk laughed

"You still haven't bounced back" Jennifer said him "AJ is thinking rationally because near death experiences do change your perspective on things and just because it hit her at this time doesn't mean it's wrong. I think you're afraid"

"I'm not afraid" Punk defended harshly

"You are" Jennifer said to him "You're afraid of bringing a child into this world because you don't want your child to have what you had growing up. But you have to know that you and AJ would provide a loving home"

"Ok so AJ and I decide to have a baby tomorrow and nine months down the road Daniel pops up" Punk pointed out

"That's a terrible excuse" Jennifer giggled "You have to realize there's a very real possibility that Daniel might never be caught. So you'll just let him dictate whether you have a family? You're really going to give that criminal that kind of control over you and your wife?"

"I never thought of it like that" Punk said to himself

"That's why I'm here" Jennifer said proudly "To point all of things you're choosing to ignore"

"You just want grandchildren" Punk mocked

"That's true as well" Jennifer smiled "Like I said it's not my business but I think you should give it some real thought before you tell AJ you're not ready because deep down I think you want a child just as badly as she does"

"I really don't want one right now" Punk told her

"Well you need to explain that to your wife and not me" Jennifer said grabbing the salad bowl and walking away

* * *

Later that night AJ was getting ready for bed and Punk was already there. Driving around and dealing with Arlo exhausted him.

"You're still hurting?" Punk asked as he watched AJ swallow a pill "You need more pain medicine?"

"No that was my birth control" AJ said to him casually as she got into bed next to him "Unless you want me to stop taking it?" she asked hopefully

"No" Punk said to her quietly

"So you've decided?" she asked

"I thought we both agreed to think about it" Punk pointed out

"Yes and I have and my mind hasn't changed" AJ said to him "I still want a baby"

"I still don't" Punk told her bluntly and he could tell she was a little surprised "I'd give you anything in the world you'd want but it's just not the right time"

"Ok" AJ said to him calmly

"Don't be mad" Punk requested

"I'm not mad, am I acting mad?" AJ asked him

"No but I know you're disappointed" Punk said to her

"I'll get over it" AJ said to him "I've been disappointed before" she shrugged sinking into the bed and pulling up the covers

"I'm not saying never" Punk insisted

"I know" AJ said quietly closing her eyes trying to fall asleep

"I'm just not ready, ok?" he asked her

"I'm not fighting this" AJ said to him simply "We agreed we'd wait a few years and I was the one that changed their mind, not you. I would never force you into having a child with me when you didn't want one"

"I appreciate that" Punk said to her "I love you very much and I want to give you everything you could ever want. It's killing me to say no"

"It's really ok." AJ assured him "You seem like you're trying to convince yourself though"

"I'm concerned because you're taking this a lot better than I thought you would" Punk admitted

"What did you think I would do? Throw a tantrum and stomp my feet until you agreed to have a baby with me?" she asked with a laugh "And who knows maybe you're right, maybe I'm just looking for something to nurture and love…I don't know" she said to him "Having a baby is a huge decision and it can't be one sided. If you're heart isn't in it I don't want to raise a child alone"

"You'd never be alone" Punk said sternly

"You know what I mean" AJ sighed "I love you and I respect your decision" she then rolled onto her side so her back was facing him. She could tell he still wanted to talk about this but AJ didn't. A single tear escaped her eye but she wasn't lying before, she'd get over this disappointment as well.


	45. Opening Night

**Opening Night**

* * *

The next few days Punk was worried about well, himself. Ever since telling AJ that he didn't want to have a baby she had been beyond sweet. She didn't argue anything, she cooked him dinner every night and never brought up the baby topic again. He wasn't sure if she was trying to get him to change his mind, make him feel bad or was plotting to kill him. He decided to give AJ a present for being so understanding and he would break the ice on the baby thing also the guilt was starting to get to him. And even though he was already having second thoughts about not having a child at the moment he wanted to stick to his guns for the benefit of his future child.

"AJ!" Punk yelled from her office

"Yea?" she asked walking inside then looked surprised when she saw a cage with a bow on it "What is this?" she asked him

"A rabbit" he told her "I got it from the pet shelter" he told her with a smile "You like it?"

"Um yea" she said unsurely

"I know you love pets" Punk said to her "I was going to get a cat but then I realized I hate cats" he smirked as he watched her carefully walk over to the cage and open it. She grabbed the floppy eared bunny and held it in her arms.

"Why did you get me a rabbit Phil?" AJ asked petting the small and shaking animal

"Because a few nights ago you were looking for something to love and nurture" Punk said proudly that he had come up with this all on his own.

"I told you I wanted to have a baby and you said no" AJ reminded him "So you got me a pet as if I'm a child to fill the void of a baby?" she asked calmly but her tone was dangerous.

"No" He said with a nervous laugh realizing she was absolutely right "Don't you like him?"

"You seriously got me a pet rabbit so you wouldn't feel bad about not having a baby with me?" She asked stunned

"No I got it because you love pets" Punk said to her

"You hate animals" AJ pointed out

"I do and I'm proving to you that I can be understanding as well" Punk said with a smile "I think I did good"

"I think you're trying to pacify me and ease your own guilt" she said coldly "I didn't mention the baby thing once after you said no so why did you do this? To make me feel bad all over again?"

"No I did it to cheer you up" Punk defended

"You think giving me a rabbit instead of a child is the same thing?" AJ asked harshly

"No of course not" Punk defended quickly

"So why did you do it?" AJ asked him he started to open his mouth but wasn't sure what to say to not make it worse "That's what I thought" she said walking out of the room with the rabbit in her arms.

* * *

Punk was at 'The Cellar' a few hours before opening to make sure everything was set up. Because it was a soft opening it wouldn't be packed and was really more of a test run but he was still anxious for everything to be perfect.

"Are you stupid?" Elliot asked his son after explaining the rabbit dilemma

"I told you the story in hopes of you telling me I did the right thing" Punk shot at him

"She wants a baby and you give her a fluffy bunny?" Elliot asked "You should have discussed this with me first"

"I should have went with my gut and got her a dog" Punk muttered

"No none of that" Elliot said to him "You can't compare a pet to a child" he scolded

"I just wanted to give her something to preoccupy her time" Punk said to him

"And you think a pet rabbit that sits in a cage is going to do that for her?" Elliot asked "Look I'm not saying to have a child because if you're not ready then you shouldn't have one. But from what you told me she understood your reasons, why did you have insult her?"

"I gave her a present!" Punk argued

"You can't just buy people's feelings" Elliot argued back "Especially AJ who isn't materialistic. I'm sure she was upset but she was getting over it and you just made it worse"

"That wasn't my intention" Punk said to him

"I'm sure it wasn't" Elliot said to him "When Jennifer and I first got married we got one of those little birds…a parakeet I think and it died" he told him "After two weeks just dropped dead from it's little perch and Jennifer was devastated she said if she couldn't even take care of a bird how could she take care of children. I went out and got her this huge fish tank and I thought she'd love it"

"She hated it I'm assuming?" Punk asked him

"She turned it around on me" Elliot said to him "She said I got her fish because that would be simple enough for her to take care of. Loved the fish tank but hated the idea of it. And after that I didn't try"

"Well this story is one day too late" Punk shot at him

"Jennifer also told me you went to see Arlo" Elliot said to him

"I figured she would" Punk said to him

"Do you not consider me to be your father?" Elliot asked bluntly

"Of course I do" Punk said to him "I call you dad, not him"

"Well why do you feel like you're doomed to repeat his mistakes?" Elliot asked him "I was the one at all of your little league games, I was the one who was at your parent teacher conferences, I was the one who went and looked and colleges with you. Not Arlo." He reminded him

"I know this" Punk said to him

"You're my son not his" Elliot told him "You're going to be a damn good father whenever you decide you want one."

"I've already screwed up" Punk pointed out

"Are you talking about your fights and issues when you were a teenager?" Elliot laughed "We've all had those sort of issues even me. You're more like me than you'll ever know"

"I put a gun in a man mouths" Punk reminded him

"To protect your wife" Elliot said to him "It wasn't a selfish act it was an act of love, a stupid act but selfless" he said to him

"I let my wife get kidnapped" Punk said to him "Because I was watching sports"

"You really blame yourself for that?" Elliot asked "You can't protect everybody"

"I don't want to protect everybody I want to protect my wife" Punk argued

"So you think you wouldn't protect your own child?" Elliot asked amused "When you do have a child and the doctor places that baby in your arms there's going to be a whole new part of you that you didn't even know existed. You don't know what it's like to be a parent or know if you can do it until you have one"

"Not a risk I want to take" Punk shrugged

"When you were a twelve do you remember how nervous you were when you had that hockey game?" Elliot asked him

"Yea" Punk smirked thinking about it "I sucked on my skates"

"So I took you to the park the night before and we skated for hours" Elliot reminded him

"You didn't know how to skate either" Punk reminded him "We both sucked and almost cracked our skulls"

"Yea but during the game you got in there and hit the winning goal" Elliot smiled "One of the proudest moments of my life seeing you succeed and being the one to help you get there. Nothing could ever change that proud feeling"

"I get it" Punk said to him "You like kids"

"No I like my own kids" Elliot smirked "Even though you three were handfuls" he added

"I don't know what you're talking about" Punk said seriously

"Christmas in the mall rings a bell" Elliot said to him and Punk knew exactly what he was referring to "You and Devon were 10, Mia was 5 and we took you all to see Santa, Mia was last to go and she started bawling on Santa's lap so you ran over and kicked the poor guy in the knee for making your little sister cry" he teased

"He obviously did something to upset her" Punk defended

"Then Santa stood up and yelled at you so Devon then kicked his other knee for yelling at you and making Mia cry" Elliot sighed remembering the horror of that day "Then Jennifer started yelling at him for yelling at you three. Maybe you should wait on kids I don't know if you could handle them especially if they're like you" he teased

"I could handle a kid like me" Punk said feeling offended "I'd know exactly how to take care of a mini-me"

"Sounds like you're scared" Elliot remarked "But you're not ready even though you keep talking about it and bringing it up. To someone else it may sound like you actually want one but you're trying to convince yourself you don't wont one"

Punk listened to Elliot was saying and realized he was right, he was spending more time thinking about all of the negatives and none of the positives. And the truth was AJ seemed to have accepted his answer but yet he was still pursuing it.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the bunny whisperer" Mia mocked walking over to him with Dean trailing behind

"She told you I guess" Punk said to him

"Dude" Dean laughed shaking his head

"I think he's aware of the mistake he made" Elliot said to him with a grin

"Am I ever going to live this down?" Punk asked them

"No" all three said at the same time

"Where is my wife?" Punk asked noticing she hadn't arrived

"She's coming later" Mia told him

"By herself?" Punk asked alarmed

"Yea" Mia said to him "She wants to prove that she can take care of herself so you stop treating her like a baby"

"I wasn't treating her like a baby!" Punk defended

"You should have went with a dog man" Dean said to him

"Damn it I knew it" He mumbled

* * *

As people began to arrive AJ still hadn't and even though she texted Punk she was on her way he was growing concerned. He liked that she was still a little sheltered after the incident because he liked being around her and knowing where she was. That only meant not only was his father was right but so was his mother about being in shock himself.

"Sorry I'm late" AJ said coming up behind him and he turned around and looked at her and wasn't pleased.

"What is that?" Punk asked referring to her clothing. The club wasn't dressy. It was an upscale grunge bar with live rock music so AJ's attire was appropriate he just wished she wasn't wearing it.

"You like it" she asked with a smile twirling for him. Jeans so tight they looked painted on, a very tiny shirt that read 'stay weird' that only covered her breasts leaving her black bra very visible.

"Yes I do" He forced out with a smile. He wasn't going to play into her game. When she was pissed she would act out by dressing in a way she knew he would never approve of. But he was going to prove her wrong and not fall into her trap. "You look so good" he said giving her a kiss

"Thanks" She smiled happily "So it's pretty crowded" she said happily "Everyone having a good time?"

"Yea" Punk said nodding "I think so"

"I should go mingle" she said to him

"AJ wait" He said grabbing her wrist "About the rabbit"

"Henry" AJ corrected

"You named him Henry?" Punk asked

"Yes" AJ said to him "I thought he looked like a Henry"

"I didn't mean to insult you" he said to her

"I know you were just trying to make me feel better" AJ said to him "And I appreciate the thought"

"So I'm off the hook?" Punk asked her

"No" she said to him "You're in charge of cleaning the cage" she smirked then kissed his cheek and skipped off

"Two can play this game" he mumbled watching her.

AJ walked away from Mia when she saw Randy walk into the club and pass invitation off to Roman who was working the door tonight.

"Randy" AJ said waving him over.

"Hello AJ" Randy forced out

"I'm surprised you came" AJ noted "I wasn't very nice the last few times I had seen you"

"No you weren't" Randy agreed "But I don't blame you."

"I'm glad you decided to come tonight" AJ said to him "You could use a good night out"

"So could you" Randy noted "Look a lot of shit went down but we both lost Celeste" he said and she frowned at hearing her friends name "For her sake I want to remain cordial with you"

"I feel the same" she smiled "Enjoy" she said gesturing to the club he smiled and walked past her

"At first I was worried about this place being too close to Tonic but now I see it won't be any competition at all" Seth smirked standing behind AJ

"Seth, I didn't see you come in" AJ noted

"I've been mingling" Seth said to her "I was surprised you invited me and even more surprised I wasn't thrown out on my ass"

"I don't want anymore drama" AJ said to him "This is me extending an olive branch hoping to end this feud with you and my husband"

"I don't think that's going to happen but if you're worried I'm going to burn down your new club you have nothing to worry about" Seth said to her

"I think you actually like being at peace with Punk" AJ teased "Isn't it nice?"

"Yea but it's fun when we're trying to kill each other" Seth said to her happily "I am glad to see you're ok"

"I heard" AJ said to him "Thank you for asking for me"

"I actually felt I kind of egged you on a bit" Seth said to her "It wasn't my intention"

"I know" AJ said to him "I also know you and Paul cooperated with the police which I know the entire Klein family appreciated"

"I'm not a monster AJ, I'm a business man" Seth reminded her "When people start dying it stops being fun"

"At least I know you have some sort of a moral code" AJ smiled

"Don't get used to it AJ" Seth warned her "Once Tonic is up and running fully I won't hold back"

"I thought you said this place wasn't competition" AJ remarked amused as she folded her arms smugly

"We'll see" he said sipping his drink "Speaking of competition" he said nodding towards Punk who was over by the bar with not one but four women dressed very similar to AJ, little clothing and joking around with her husband.

"Son of a bitch" AJ mumbled narrowing her eyes

"Trouble in paradise?" Seth asked standing behind her "Want to make him jealous?"

"Nope. I know what he's up to" AJ said then headed straight for her husband.

"….can you see my tan line?" a blonde asked Punk pointing to the start of her tight pants.

"No not really" He said looking and felt AJ grabbing his wrist and pulling him away. "That was rude AJ I was being a good hostess"

"If you didn't like what I was wearing you could have just said it" AJ said pulling him into a dark corner away from the people and music

"You knew I wouldn't like it" Punk laughed "That's why you wore it. I'm on to you" he said to her "I know you like the back of my hand"

"I happen to think I look adorable" AJ defended

"You look hot" Punk agreed "And you have every right to want to show off how awesome you look but in the future the more you where is sexier, it creates a mystery"

"I don't think my body is much of a mystery to you anymore" AJ said arching a brow

"Nope it certainly is not" he agreed slowly wrapping his arms around her hips and admiring her toned abs. "I would however like it to remain a mystery to other people"

"That's fair" she smiled

"But speaking of exploring your body…" he said as one of his hands smoothly ran down to her ass

"We weren't discussing that" AJ laughed

"Oh I guess I was just thinking it" he admitted with a smile

"No Phil" she warned "Not in our new club and not during our opening"

"No one will even realize we're gone" He said to her "Come on" he said to her

"Your parents are in our office" AJ told him "So there's no where for us to even go"

"There's plenty of-" he stopped talking and looked down at her "What are my parents doing in our office? Do not even tell me-"

"No Phil not everybody is as horny as you are" AJ laughed "They're using the computer"

"Fine" He said pulling her a little ways down and opened a door and pushed her in.

Punk reached over her head and turned on a single light.

"A utility closet?" AJ asked him with a laugh "Not happening"

"I've been thinking" he said standing in front of the door "Let's do it"

"Obviously that's what you're thinking" AJ groaned

"No not that- well yes that but the other thing" Punk said to her and AJ titled her head in confusion. "Did you take your pill today?"

"Phil I respect your decision" AJ told him seriously "You don't have to give me a baby to make me happy"

"I went to see Arlo" He told her and she looked even more confused "My birth father"

"You didn't tell me that" AJ frowned "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why I went isn't the point but he put it in my head that I'm destined to be like him" Punk said to her "I don't want to be a father like him"

"That's not possible" she said seriously

"After many of many pep talks I realized that" Punk said to her

"I could have told you that if you were just honest with me" AJ said to him

"I'm also afraid of Daniel" he admitted "He's still out there but I can't put my life on hold because of him. I don't want to punish you or myself anymore"

"Do you really want this or do you just feel guilty? Because you don't have to feel that way I love Henry the bunny" she told him honestly

"I want to try" He said to her "I want what you want"

"That's not how it works" AJ said to him "You need to be really sure because we start trying I will not stop until I'm waddling around with your child kicking inside of me"

"I want to try, I want to do this" he said to her "I can do this- we can do this."

"It's sudden I just don't think you're sure" AJ admitted

"Are you kidding?" he laughed "You wanted this so bad and now I'm ready and you're trying to talk me out of it. You are the most frustrating person I have ever met"

"I kind of think that's why you married you" she teased then grabbed his hands "I know you would do anything to make me happy but I would also do the same. I don't want you to feel pressured or forced into this huge life changing decision"

"I don't feel forced. I thought about it and I want it" he told her "I want to have a baby with you"

"When we first discussed having children you said you wanted to wait because you wanted more 'us' time" AJ reminded him

"We'll still have all of that" Punk told her "And the more I think about it I am getting old. I'm going to be forty in a few years and I want to still be young enough to play sports with my kid and chase after them. You were right about time except for me my fear is my knees will go out" he smirked

"Ok" she said to him

"Yea?" he asked her trying not to sound too excited

"Yea let's do it" she said to him and he immediately went for her shirt but she grabbed his hands "If I find out this was just a clever ruse to get me naked in this filthy closet you will have to sleep with one eye open" she warned

"I'm not that horny" Punk said with wide eyes "I'd never risk my life for sex even though it would be so worth it" he said running his hand over her abs

"I didn't take my pill but I don't even know if I'm ovulating" AJ said to him

"I don't know what that means" he said carelessly as he undid her belt causing her to laugh

"We conceive when I'm ovulating" AJ smirked

"Well let's just practice until we know for sure" He said to her as he unzipped her jeans now.

"I can practice" she agreed reaching for the hem of his shirt and lifting it over his head.

Punk's one strong arm held AJ around her waist and lifted her so her feet were dangling and used his other hand to pull them down her fit legs. AJ wrapped her legs around her waist once she was free and he pressed her into a cabinet knocking over some stuff in the process.

"I think I'll keep the shirt on" Punk said kissing her "I like it a lot"

"You got it for me so you should" She teased as he began to suck the sweet spot of her neck. She felt him nibble and bite over it causing her to hiss.

"A hickey? Really?" She laughed

"I'm excited" he reasoned working on the spot.

"We have to get back" AJ warned him "Stop teasing and start the baby making"

"I love it when you boss me around"

He grinned as she moved her hands over his jeans and began to tug them down. She slithered her hands into his boxers and began to massage him until he was hard and ready to go, AJ was always ready to go for Phil he could just look at her and she'd be wet. AJ didn't feel secure against the shelves because there was so much space between them her back wouldn't press into anything but cleaning products. and knew they'd have to move which she wasn't happy about because she loved him being pressed into her, she loved not having anywhere to go when she was with him..

"This isn't going to work" she informed him

"We'll make it work" he said still working on her neck and AJ was sure the hickey was going to tremendous. He pushed away from the shelves with AJ's legs still firmly wrapped around him and he looked around the room desperately.

"Not the door" she warned knowing that was his 'go to spot'. "It was painted this morning"

"Ok" he said looking over her shoulder

"We really might have to wait" she said and he shot her such a scary glare that she just had to laugh. He was actually twitching in her hand. He walked back over to the metal shelving system he used one arm to knock everything off of the middle shelf and placed AJ on it. "Resourceful" she smirked pulling him into a kiss.

Punk pulled away from her and leaned over to grab his t-shirt and looked at her wrists.

"You want to tie me up?" she asked him

"I was going to but-" Punk realized she probably wasn't ready for that. She placed her wrists together and posed them in front of him

"I trust you" she smiled. He lifted her wrists over her head and tied them to the next shelf up. He stepped away to admire the view before him. His hot wife sitting with her legs open, nude from the waist down and her arm extended together over her head so she couldn't move.

"This way you won't fall back either" Punk said to her gesturing to her hands

"You wouldn't let me fall anyway" she replied "Come on" she nodded.

Punk tugged his boxers down so they met his jeans by his knees and he reared back and entered her roughly. The harder Punk pushed into her the more stuff that feel from the shaking shelf system that was put together by hand.

"Yes!" AJ cried wanting to touch him but also enjoying being at his mercy. She didn't seem to care that things were falling onto Punk she just didn't want it to stop.

"Fuck" he groaned wanting to go faster and harder but the entire shelf system would probably collapse. "Are you tight?"

"You tell me" She moaned and he couldn't help but laugh slightly

"I meant tied in?" he asked referring to her wrists as he concentrated on pushing her to her bliss.

"Yes" She cried "Oh, but you have to go harder baby please"

"Hold on" He warned and lifter her so her ass wasn't touching the shelf and cupped her there and controlled her so he was moving in and out of her without moving himself. "Fuck yes" he groaned out as she screamed at the hard pace but loved every second of it.

She loved this new position but she also loved was his hands and fingers teasing her backside. His one finger slipped slight and she was sure it was unintentional and he was teasing her at her back entrance without even realizing it. She wasn't sure if she wanted to push into his finger or help him move her over his throbbing member.

"Do it" she ordered and he realized what she was talking about

"Not here" he said to her

"Do it Phil" she demanded

"No" he said shaking his head and he felt her clench over him almost making it hard for him to move and with her doing that he would go before she did. "You are so fucking difficult" he said pulling her hard into him and AJ was practically laying straight across on air, actually it felt like AJ was having sex in the air and technically she was. He used one hand to keep her against him and placed his finger into her mouth for as a substitute lube of kind.

"I want you to touch me there" she said as she let his finger go on a pop.

Punk moved his hand back where it was and adjusted her slightly so he could penetrate her only by a few inches.

"Happy?" he asked her and but she just nodded as he began to move her body again. It wasn't much but it was enough to focus her back on the goal, making a baby.

A few thrusts later AJ was done and spent and Punk knew giving her position he had to end this quick because she couldn't be hung up like this much longer without hurting her. He moved his finger out of her and gripped her hips and tugged her to hard against him she pulled the top shelf down freeing her hands of the restraint and thankfully Punk was quick enough to move her from the rubble all the while pouring his seed into her. Her wrists still tied together she wrapped them around his neck while he was still inside of her and steadied himself crashing into the door that was still a little sticky with paint.

"You ok?" he asked wanting to make sure she wasn't hurt

"That was…" she trailed off "…all around amazing" she said as she nuzzled her face into his neck. "So hot, so good" she moaned just flashing back to a few seconds ago.

"It was pretty fucking hot" Punk agreed smugly pushing off of the door just then the door swung open revealing a confused Dean then a shocked Dean as his eyes widened in surprise, AJ's wrists tied together behind Punk's neck, her bare legs wrapped around him and his bare ass hanging out.

"What happened-" Mia started then froze "Oh my god!" she screamed.

"Dude" Dean said proudly nodding his head

"Dean!" Mia yelled grabbing him by his shirt and slamming the door closed.

"Well that killed the mood" Punk muttered as he released AJ to her feet.

"Let's just hope you did the job" AJ said as Punk pulled up his pants and zipped them up.

"Don't question my man hood. You're probably already pregnant" he replied smugly

"Baby" she said causing him to look up with her wrists extended him

"Oh yea I need that" he said untying her wrists and taking his shirt back.

"You got some paint on your back" she noted

"It's alright" Punk said pulling on his shirt and then helped AJ back into her jeans.

"Your sister walked in on us" AJ reminded him

"Yea well that's payback for fucking my friend" Punk said to her "She deserves to be scarred for life too"

"You're mean" she laughed

* * *

"I mean this is your club opening" Mia scolded as she sat Punk and AJ down in their office "It is totally irresponsible for you two to sneak off like that"

Punk and AJ looked like two teens sent to the principles office. Both of their clothes were slightly disheveled as well and AJ's lips were swollen while Punk had some of her lipstick around his own lips.

"Tell them" Mia said turning Dean

"I actually have a question" Dean said to her "Why tie her around the wrists?" he asked seriously and Mia rolled her eyes "What's the point?" Punk just glared at him

"I was actually tied to a shelf" AJ admitted quietly looking down at her folded and fidgeting hands. Dean's eyes lit up and he looked towards Mia.

"No" Punk and Mia said at the same time.

"We're trying to have a baby" AJ blurted out

"You agreed?" Mia asked the two

"Yea" Punk admitted "But don't run your mouth off or anything because this has to be timed well and-"

"Oh my god I'm going to be an aunt!" Mia said happily clapping her hands

"Not a word Mia" Punk warned her

"I promise, I promise" she said excitedly "Oh my god mom is going to flip out!"

"We're just trying" Punk reminded her "There's no baby yet"

"Yea these things take time we were just…practicing" AJ added blushing slightly

"Practice away!" Mia encouraged then looked at AJ seriously "Do you want us to leave right now?" she whispered

"No" "Yes" AJ and Punk responded at the same time

"Did you use your own t-shirt?" Dean asked and Punk shot him a death glare

"I'm not give you sex tips when I know you're sleeping with my sister" Punk said to him

"Do you think you made a baby?" Mia asked ignoring Dean and Punk and AJ just smiled

"I don't know Mia" AJ admitted nervously

"Leave AJ alone" Punk said to her standing up "We're going downstairs to enjoy the rest of the opening"

"If you do decide to sneak off and make a baby again can you at least not make so much noise? Everyone heard" Mia informed him

"Wonderful" AJ mumbled and glared towards her husband

Punk and AJ walked out of the office and closed the door but a second later Punk walked back in and grabbed Mia by her elbow and pulled her out too.

"What are you doing?" Mia asked

"He's having impure thoughts" Punk said pointing at Dean "You can hang out with me for the rest of the night"

"I didn't say anything!" Dean defended as Punk dragged her out of the room.

* * *

Downstairs AJ put her embarrassment aside and decided to mingle some more. Shaking hands with everyone who came out to make sure they'd be sure to come back. In the corner of the club by the stage AJ spotted Maria sipping on a drink and swaying along to the music by herself.

"Maria" AJ smiled walking over to her and giving her a hug "Thank you so much for coming"

"Thank you for having me" Maria said to her

"Did you see Mia?" AJ asked pointing over to the bar where Punk seemed to be lecturing Mia.

"No" Maria said to her "I'm here because you asked me to be here I'm trying to avoid everybody else"

"This is the first step" AJ said to her "Trust me she wants to see you"

"I've accepted that you and Mia are sisters and that makes me a third wheel and I don't blame her for being mad" Maria said to her

"It's not like that" AJ assured her "We're all family" she reminded her

"It's not the same" Maria smiled "But it's ok"

"It's not you're just as welcome here as anyone else" AJ said to her

"The club is pretty great you and Punk did a great job" Maria told her

"Thank you and thank you again for coming" AJ smiled and that's when she saw Mia walk over

"Oh look at that Phil is calling me" AJ lied stepping away so the two could finally talk privately.

AJ skipped over to Punk and took a seat at the bar while he leaned against it.

"I think tonight was a success" AJ said to him

"We'll see when we crunch the numbers later" Punk said sipping on his soda "I see Maria took you up on her invitation along with every other loser you invited"

"Maria feels terrible and she's reaching out" AJ reminded him "Be nice"

"Not everyone can be as forgiving as you" Punk informed her

"No more of this" AJ said to him "We started healing last week and tonight we took the first step towards the future" she reminded him "Let it go, let it all go so we can focus on the more important things"

"I'll try" he said almost childishly

"That's all I ask" She said proudly "By the way even though you decided you wanted to have a baby you're still cleaning Henry's cage"

"Damn it" he muttered under his breath

"Also I've looked into this whole having baby thing and when I am ovulating no matter what day it is or what we're doing we have to promise to make time to try" AJ warned him "It really can take a long time"

"Yea that wont' be a problem" Punk smirked

"I mean it Phil you need to be fully committed to this" AJ warned

"Are you really warning me that you're going to demand sex and you think I would honestly fight that?" Punk asked stunned

"True. I must have forgot who I was talking to" AJ teased

"I'm all in for this and I'm fully committed to knocking you up" He told her and AJ glared at his choice of words "And it's not just for the constant sex either I want this just as much as you do" he promised her

"Good" she said happily "I can't wait to have your baby" she said pulling him into a kiss.


	46. Options

**A/N: Alright everyone I know I've spoiled you all with lots of chapters these last few days and I appreciate the feedback I've gotten and am happy you can feel the emotion from this story. I am having so much fun writing it but this is it...for the next few days at least lol I'm going to be MIA for a couple of days so enjoy these chapters and don't worry I'll update when I can I promise it won't be long but that is why I've updated so much. As for how long this story will go on for I feel I have so much more story to tell so I hope you all stick around for it! Thanks again you all are seriously the best and I can't express how much it means to me :)**

* * *

**Options**

* * *

**A few months later…**

Trying to conceive a baby was proving to be really tiring for Punk. He never thought he'd admit it but his wife might have just been more sex craved then he was. But that didn't bother him as much as AJ's disappointed face when she'd get her period and realize she wasn't pregnant. So he was going to be patient and supportive and help anyway he can. Also the more they tried the more excited he was to think they actually did it but he was just as disappointed as she was, he only masked it better.

"Hey I got you something" Punk said walking in the front door with a grocery bag.

"I'm intrigued" she smiled taking her reading glasses off and looking towards him. He pulled out a box and handed it to her.

"It's those ovulation sticks" Punk told her "It will tell you when it's the best time to have sex"

"Very smart" AJ smiled reading the back of the box

"I also got some pregnancy tests just in case you get a feeling and want to check" he shrugged.

"That's very sweet of you thank you" she said feeling happy that he was really on board with all of this.

"And I did research online" He said sitting next to her "You need to elevate your legs right after we have sex for at least twenty minutes" he informed her and she couldn't but smile "Also I know its not your favorite position but missionary is what we're going to have to do, boring but we'll deal"

"I don't think any position with you is boring" AJ smiled

"It's all about gravity" Punk said to her trying to be serious "If you're sitting up or against a wall its harder for the sperm to travel"

"Ok" she said to him

"Also there's a small chance we can conceive up to five days before you actually ovulate and sperm lives for five days-" Punk rambled on

"Wow you've really done your homework" AJ noted

"I want this" Punk admitted "And when I want something I go for it and don't stop until I get exactly what I want"

"Have you considered something could be wrong with one of us?" AJ asked him "We've been trying for a few months now-"

"No" Punk said cutting her off "You said it yourself it takes time"

"But something could be wrong and we could be wasting time not fixing it" AJ noted "I was thinking we could go see a specialist?" she asked hoping he'd go for it

"Is that something you really want to do?" Punk asked her

"Yea" AJ said to him

"Then we'll do it" Punk told her "Give me a few days and I'll find the best fertility specialist in the country"

"Or we can just find the best in Chicago" she laughed "I love you that you have endless amounts of money that you want to throw away on me but let's stay local for this" she smiled cupping his cheek

"It's not throwing away money this is our family" Punk reminded her

"Just try to find a doctor that will take us as soon as possible because the more we try and it doesn't happen the more worried I get" AJ admitted

"Of course" Punk said to her

"I mean we've been doing it all right" AJ said thinking about it "Waiting for me to ovulate, I've been eating well and exercising-"

"You know what else might slow down the process? Stress." He told her "Making the baby should be fun and maybe we're putting to much thought into it" he said to her "I mean look at all the people that accidentally get pregnant, clearly they weren't trying"

"You're right" AJ said to him "I married an incredibly smart man"

"You did" Punk agreed very seriously "Attractive too" he added and then smiled "It's going to happen trust me" he said giving her a kiss

* * *

A week later Punk arrived at The Cellar, which was doing amazing. It drew in a completely different crowd, one that Punk liked a lot better and business was actually booming. Punk didn't want to be here right now he wanted be home with his wife who had just received devastating news but she asked him to leave the house. After seeing a specialist they discovered AJ wouldn't be able to conceive a child. The look on AJ's face when the doctor told her was something he wanted to wash away from his mind forever.

"What's wrong?" Devon asked entering Punk's office

"Nothing" Punk mumbled looking at his laptop

"I thought you and AJ were taking the night off" Devon said "Otherwise I'm clearly not needed"

"Go then" Punk said simply researching AJ's condition online.

"Seriously what's your deal?" Devon asked

"AJ can't have a baby" Punk admitted. It was common knowledge now that they were trying.

"I'm sorry" Devon said genuinely taking a seat at AJ's desk and looking over towards Punk "But a lot of women have problems can't she just get treatment?"

"AJ has something that's so rare it only effects 1% of women" Punk told her "It's called premature ovarian failure" he confided

"And there's nothing that can be done?" Devon asked him

"Not really" Punk said to him "It has to do with her estrogen levels I mean the doctor said between 5 and 10 percent of women with this spontaneously get pregnant but they recommend other options"

"She's got to be devastated" Devon said to him "I'm sure you are too. I know you were really getting excited yourself"

"Yea but I'm more worried about her" Punk said to him "She's heartbroken. She cried the entire ride home from the doctors and refused to come work. She kept apologizing to me like it's her fault"

"Well like you said the doctor said there are other options" Devon pointed out "There's adoption"

"Yea I know but when I mentioned that to her when we got home she wasn't thrilled with that idea" Punk admitted "She wanted to carry a baby and have a mix of us."

"You're adopted and she grew up in the foster system. Her more than anyone should understand how many children out there need homes" Devon reasoned

"She doesn't want to hear it right now" Punk said to him "I'm more worried about getting her on hormones because the doctors said this could effect her bones and make her sick. But again she didn't want to hear that either" He said bitterly "Sometimes she's so fucking thick headed"

"Reminds me of someone else I know" Devon muttered "She's upset, give her a few days process this. Being told you can't have kid can't be easy"

"She wouldn't even come out of the bedroom after I mentioned adoption" Punk admitted shaking his head "She was sobbing in our room and she wouldn't let me in to help her"

"She's upset" Devon reminded her

"I don't know the right thing to say" Punk said to him "What do you say to someone who just had their dreams ripped away from them"

"It wasn't just her dreams" Devon said to him "You shouldn't be here" he told him

"She told me to leave" Punk said with a laugh "I'm just doing what she told me to do"

"How about you do what she needs" Devon said simply "She told you to leave but she needs is you there with her" he said to him "Go home and prove to her that when the tough times comes you don't just run."

"She threw her hairbrush at the door" Punk admitted to him

"She needs you" Devon said firmly "Go home to your wife and hold her even if she kicks and screams and tell her you love her."

"Yea" Punk said actually agreeing and standing up

"I'll work tonight like I was supposed to you and just be there for AJ even if it means camping out in front of the bedroom door" Devon ordered

"Ok and uh- could you not tell anyone?" Punk asked him

"Come on I'm not Mia" Devon reminded him "And for what it's worth I am sorry but there are options out there. If you guys need anything just call me"

"Thank you" Punk said placing a hand on his shoulder before walking out

* * *

When Punk got home the bedroom door was open on a crack and AJ was lying in bed not under the covers but did have a short throw over her body. She was on her side petting Henry while sniffling.

"Hi" Punk said and she looked over to him

"What are you doing here?" AJ asked then went back to looking at the rabbit

"I live here" He reminded her "I wanted to be here with you"

"Why?" AJ asked him

"Because you're my wife and I love you" he said to her

"Do you realize you have given me everything?" AJ asked not looking at him but continuing to pet Henry.

"I don't really see it that way, actually I see it quite the opposite" he admitted carefully sitting on the edge of the bed

"You've given me not only a bond and companionship but also parents, siblings, a roof over my head, a career and anything money can buy" she said "And the only thing I though I could give you I can't even do"

"No AJ" he said to her

"Yes Phil" AJ said crying more now "If you want to find a wife who can actually give you a child I don't blame you"

"Are you crazy?" he asked her seriously

"No but I'm damaged apparently" AJ muttered "I'm going to be a bunny lady. I'm not sure if that's worse than a cat lady"

"We're going to get past this" Punk said looking at her even though she didn't dare look back at him

"I can't have a baby" AJ reminded him "There's no way of fixing that"

"It's possible" Punk said to her

"It's a 5% chance Phil" She said bitterly "There's no chance"

"5% is better than 4%" he said to her "We've beaten the odds before"

"I can't get my hopes up Phil" she sighed sadly

"So you just give up?" Punk asked

"Don't you understand that I can't give you what you need?" She asked sitting up and grabbing Henry in the process

"You're all I need" Punk said honestly

"You've been so excited for this baby since we started trying I see it in your eyes. That's the worst part. I got you all hyped for something I can't even provide" AJ argued "I talked you into this and now it's not happening"

"Let's just stop trying" Punk suggested "Stress isn't going to help let's just go on like normal and see what happens?"

"We don't have a choice Phil" she shrugged and he got a view of her red swollen eyes. "There's no treatment options. You can have a baby though"

"I'm not having a baby without you" Punk scoffed

"The doctor said you're good to go" AJ reminded him

"I don't care" Punk said to her "We'll have children, we'll have ten children if you want" he told her "I promise you one way or another its going to happen"

"Please don't be sweet and try to help me" AJ begged sobbing and getting off of the bed "I can't take you being nice and trying to help me I don't want it or deserve it" she then left the room and left him sitting on the bed alone.

* * *

The next night Punk was back at The Cellar this time waiting for AJ who promised she'd be at work tonight. She told Punk she was going to stop at SXS to pick up some paperwork from there and work on it at The Cellar but as the time passed Punk was now growing concerned.

"Hey Dean it's me" Punk said into his phone "Did AJ stop by there yet?"

"No she never came, why was she supposed to?" Dean asked him

"Yea" Punk said "And I can't get her on her phone"

"Don't freak out" Dean said to him

"Don't freak out? The last time I couldn't get her she was locked in a bathroom and beaten!" Punk yelled then hung up and tried her phone again.

Punk was relieved that her phone was on that meant he could track it. After the last incident with AJ going missing he had the app installed back on her phone and she didn't protest it. He waited a few minutes for it to load and squinted his eyes at the location that was only a few blocks over.

"That can _not_ be right" he hissed then placed his phone his pocket and walked out the door.

* * *

"AJ Brooks in the flesh" Seth Rollins smirked walking over to the bar where AJ was drinking. "What brings you to the new and improved Tonic?"

"I need to be in a place that Punk doesn't own" AJ said to him

"I knew he'd screw up" Seth grinned

"No I screwed up" AJ admitted "Excuse me another one" she said to the bartender pointing to her shot glass

"What are you drinking?" Seth asked curiously leaning his elbow against the bar casually

"Fireball" AJ smiled "Want to have one with me?"

"I don't drink and work" Seth said to her "How many have you had?"

"I don't know" she slurred

"You've been here for at least an hour. My bouncer informed me that you were here then I just assumed you'd leave" Seth said tilting his head

"I thought we were friends" AJ frowned "You don't want me here?"

"Friends is a strong word" Seth said to her with a laugh "I do respect you which is exactly why I'm cutting you off" he said taking the now full shot glass away from her "No more for her" he told the bartender

"I'm a paying customer" AJ argued

"I know that" Seth nodded "And now you're not"

"Fine" AJ said grabbing her purse and almost falling to the ground

"How about I call Punk for you" Seth offered

"No" AJ said with wide desperate eyes "He's going to be so mad and he's going to hate me more"

"I doubt he hates you" Seth smirked "He seems to worship you actually"

"That's his mistake" AJ said bitterly turning around and Seth couldn't help but check her out. Wearing extremely short tight stretch black shorts, a thick strapped black tank-top and adorable converse to boot. "Are you throwing me out of here?"

"No I'm not" Seth said to her "But I'm not going to let you drink and do something stupid like fall or cheat on your husband causing him to burn my place down again"

"I would never cheat" AJ said laughing and bumped into a man "Opps sorry" she said seeing she spilt the mans drink

"Watch what you're doing" the man demanded

"I'll buy you another" AJ promised and that's when the man got a look at her

"How about you let me buy one?" The man offered

"I'd really like that" she said leaning into the man and looking up at him.

Seth was very unimpressed with AJ's antics and getting around his no serving rule. He watched as the man handed her some sort of vodka drink and cringed when she downed it and slammed it on the table. He shook his head and reached for his phone.

"Mia don't hang up" Seth requested walking away from the music so he could hear her.

AJ on the other hand had found a nice small group of men willing to buy her drinks and she was starting to feel numb.

"What's this drink?" AJ asked one of them

"Just drink it" one man laughed

"It smells funny" She said scrunching up her nose

"You have a cute nose" another man smirked "Kind of like a bunny"

"Oh my god I totally have a bunny!" AJ laughed then downed drink slowly but got there eventually. "That was disgusting" she said wiping her mouth.

"Want to get out of here?" the man she originally bumped into asked her

"No" AJ said with a slow and almost evil smile

"Come on my car is out front it's the mustang" he said to her brushing his fingers down her cheek.

"My husband has one of those and a BMW and a Mercedes" AJ informed him smugly

"Husband?" the man asked

"Married" She said holding up her left hand "He's such a good man too" she began to tell the men who all sudden didn't seem as interested in her as before.

Seth walked over to her to give her the heads up that Punk was on his way to get her and maybe push the men away before a brawl broke out in his newly put together club.

"….you're not damaged" one of the two men who decided to stay and actually listen to AJ told her "You should talk to him"

"I can't look at him" she said sadly

"AJ" Seth hissed "He's coming here"

"Oh no" AJ slurred

"That's good maybe you sleep this off and talk to him about how you're feeling" one man said to her and Seth rolled his eyes.

"You're on the wrong side of the tracks" the beautiful female Punk told her. There was Amy. A woman who AJ hated but was probably lucky enough to give Punk exactly what he wanted.

"No Amy" Seth warned

"Since when are you her best friend?" Amy asked "What is she doing here anyway?" she asked him then got in AJ's face "She doesn't belong"

"Get your disgusting face out of mine" AJ warned

"Oh tough talk" Amy laughed "You can barely stand" she said eying her with disgust "Why don't you make me Cinderella?"

"You are a trashy, horrible woman" AJ informed her "I don't blame you for hating me since Punk married me and simply cast you aside like the garbage you are" she said calmly

"This is my place" Amy reminded her stepping closer to her

"Actually it's my place" Seth pointed out "No fighting"

"You're pathetic to come here" Amy informed her "Here you are crying about your husband at the bar who treats you like a god damn queen- fuck you and your small problems" she said then spit in AJ's face. AJ placed her hand under her eyes where she felt the disgusting spitball and lunged right at Amy sending both to the floor.

"Mercury!" Seth yelled waving over one of his guards to help him pry AJ off of Amy who she was hitting repeatedly.

Seth managed to bring AJ to her feet but she was still waving her small but clearly deadly fists around.

"I will kick your ass!" AJ screamed and that's when Amy went after AJ now even though Seth was holding her

"Mercury!" Seth shouted

"Stop!" the familiar voice of Punk rang out and Amy stopped fighting against the bouncer holding her

"What are you doing?" Punk asked the two

"She hit me!" Amy yelled and Punk could see she had a bloody nose

"She spit in my face!" AJ screamed back "She started it!"

"Take Amy upstairs" Seth told Joey "And you take your wife" Seth said passing AJ off to Punk.

"Here AJ" a random man said passing her back her purse as Punk loosened his grip on her

"Thanks" AJ slurred

"Is this your husband?" the man asked her and she nodded

"See? I told you he was hot" AJ grinned as if she hadn't just beaten the crap out of someone

"Yes he is" the clearly gay man noted eyeing Punk up. "She's been bragging about you all night"

"Good to know" Punk forced out "Come on AJ" he said grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the club.

* * *

He watched as she wobbled on her feet right outside the club and slowly turned to face him.

"I don't feel good" AJ admitted feeling her stomach start to rumble

"Good" Punk said surprising her "Are you fucking crazy?" he demanded to know "You take off and not answer your phone? Do you know what was going thru my fucking mind!" he yelled

"I didn't do anything wrong" AJ defended

"You didn't tell me where you were that's what you did wrong!" Punk shouted. Normally he was so comforting but he was angry. "You came to Seth's bar, got drunk and started a fight?"

"She started it" AJ slurred almost falling over but caught herself on the bus stop

"I don't care who started it!" Punk yelled "What is wrong with you?"

"Everything" She shouted waving her arms about

"You do remember you were abducted a few months ago right?" Punk asked her in a dangerously low voice "You do remember that the man who took you is still out there as well?"

"Oh please" AJ mocked "Daniel isn't around here."

"What about me AJ?" Punk asked her

"I wasn't flirting with anyone or cheating" She defended

"I know that" Punk said annoyed. He knew even if she had a few drink AJ would never cheat on him or even consider him. They had issues in their marriage but fear of cheating was thankfully one niether were ever concerned about. "But you took off without a word. I was scared something happened to you"

"Oh" AJ said slowly "Sorry" she said then started to laugh

"It's not funny" Punk said to her sadly

"It is" She said laughing "What a stupid thing to do" she agreed "Sorry slipped my mind" she slurred laughing hysterically now "But hey at least I can drink because I'm not pregnant!" she pointed out still laughing

"That's what this is about?" Punk asked "You get bad news and run to the bar?"

"Oh please I'm not an alcoholic Phil" She mocked

"I know that but the fact that you got bad news and decided to drink away your problems rather then talk about them concerns me" Punk said to her

"I'm sick of talking" AJ said to him "I just wanted to forget but then I started to talking to the nice men buying me drinks and they were trying to offer me advice so I just kept drinking more" she said sliding down the bus stop so she was sitting on the floor "I'm a mess" she mumbled sadly now

"Yea you are" Punk agreed walking over to her and kneeled down so she was looking at him "But you're my mess" he said to her

"I was going to go to The Cellar but I couldn't bare to look at you" AJ admitted sadly

"That's a problem since you're stuck with me" Punk said with a frown and she smiled at his lighthearted comment

"I let you down" She said to him "It's one thing to let myself down but I never wanted to do that to you"

"You didn't let me down" Punk promised her "I know you're hurting and I know it's beyond my control to fix but I promise you I'm going to stick by your side and we're going to get through this like we do everything. The odds are stacked against us but when aren't they?" he asked her softly and she nodded

"I really would kiss you right now for being the most amazing and thoughtful man on this planet but I think I'm going to vomit" AJ admitted

"Thanks for the heads up" he said with half a smile

"I also still think I have spit on my face" AJ noted and Punk's hand moved over her cheek and cleaned it for her.

"All gone" He said to her

"Adopting is a nice idea and I thin it's amazing that people do it" AJ told him "But I really wanted to carry _your_ child"

"So we keep trying" Punk shrugged "We've got a chance"

"It's so small" AJ reminded him feeling herself start to cry, something she had been doing way too much of lately

"We keep trying" he said to her seriously "There's no rush. And maybe as time passes we'll look into other things" he suggested "We don't have to decide anything tonight or tomorrow"

"I don't think I'm capable of deciding on anything tonight" she admitted "Everything is spinning"

"I could imagine" Punk said to her "Come on I'll take you home" He said coming to his feet and grabbing her hands and helping her to her own feet now.

"I can't get in a car" AJ warned "I will get sick everywhere" she warned

"We'll walk until you feel better" Punk shrugged "It's a nice night and there's no rush for anything" he moved his arm firmly around her waist so he could help her walk.

"Why are you so good to me?" AJ asked leaning her head against him as they slowly walked

"Because I love you" he replied simply

"I am sorry for not calling" AJ said to him "I didn't mean to worry you"

"Well you did and I'm pissed" Punk told her honestly

"I'll make it up to you" AJ promised

"Make it up to me by talking to me and not running to Seth's shady club of all places next time" Punk said to her and she chuckled

"Deal" she said to him "But he was nice"

"Never trust him AJ" Punk warned "He's a snake, always has been always will be"

"I'm not in the mindset to argue" AJ admitted "I'll just agree"

"Good" He grinned happily and kissed the top of her head.

As mad as he was he was just happy that she was in once piece. The threat of Daniel Bryan still haunted him and until he was away for good Punk would never a good nights rest. AJ seemed to have moved on nicely from what transpired a few months ago but Punk was boarder line obsessed with finding Daniel and making him pay for everything did to AJ. He'd never tell AJ how he had hired private eyes, former US Marshals, Bounty Hunters- anyone he could to track him down. He couldn't think about Daniel tonight though, his wife was crying out for help and that's where he had to be but tomorrow was a nice day and hope for a new lead.


	47. Birthday Baby

**Birthday Baby**

* * *

"Where has Roman been lately?" AJ asked from her desk inside of her shared office at The Cellar. Punk looked over to his wife and wasn't sure exactly how to respond.

"He's been doing some work for me out of town" Punk shrugged. Meanwhile that was the truth, Roman had been following up on all of his leads on Daniel Bryan.

"Hmm" she said to him and Punk was hoping that satisfied her curiosity "What kind of work out of town?"

"Just promotional stuff for the new club" Punk shrugged but AJ wasn't buying it and he knew it. "Oh by the way that big surprise birthday party that you and my mother have been planning- stop it" he said and she rolled her eyes

"How did you know?" AJ asked annoyed

"Because Jennifer plans one every year" Punk informed her

"And you ruin it for her every year" AJ said to him "And don't worry she suggested and I said no already"

"So what's the plan?" Punk asked

"You are such a big kid" she giggled "You don't want a surprise party but you want a party"

"I didn't say I want a party but I do at least want a cake or something" He reasoned

"The dinner your mother planned at Del Monte is supposed to be a surprise" AJ warned him "So when I take you there act surprised"

"I will. Because I am surprised that you let my mother pick the restaurant because you know I hate it there" Punk said annoyed

"Just suck it up for her" AJ warned him "She has it all set up"

"Sucks" Punk mumbled under his breath

"They were so right about you" AJ said in awe "You truly are a spoiled Birthday baby"

"I'm not spoiled but you get a birthday once a year" Punk pointed out very seriously trying to get his point across

"Relax there's a surprise thrown in there too" AJ assured him "But only if you make it through dinner with your family and make Jennifer happy"

"What kind of surprise?" He asked with a grin

"One that I'd like to keep just that- a surprise" AJ said to him coolly "You've been so supportive and amazing to me since we found out we can't have children" she said in a calm voice. It had been two months since they got the news and AJ had her small meltdown at Tonic.

"That's not what the doctor said" Punk reminded her "He said there's a chance"

"I don't want to debate this again" AJ sighed. He had been reminding her that there is still a chance, an extremely small one but a chance still, that she could conceive a child. "But it hasn't just been that after everything with Daniel and my family and Celeste you've been my rock" She told him honestly "I love you and want to make sure you have a very special 45th birthday" he rolled his eyes with her last statement.

"The age jokes aren't funny" he said to her

"I think they're hysterical" AJ laughed. Punk was turning 36 but he was still sensitive about the age gap between the two.

"You don't have to do anything special for me" Punk told her "We're there for each other because we love each other and you've done the same for me."

"You deserve something very special" AJ said to him

"Does it involve nudity?" Punk asked her curiously and she rolled her eyes

"Is that all you can think about?" AJ asked him

"No" he scoffed "A little" he added "Shouldn't you be ovulating soon?" he asked her. She didn't even like to think about it but she did keep track of it.

"A few days" she said to him and he nodded "I don't want you to get your hopes up" she told him

"They're not up but I want to keep trying I thought we agreed on it?" Punk asked and she smiled

"I know it's just you're a lot more optimistic then I am" She said to him

"Someone has to be" Punk smirked

* * *

On the day of his birthday Punk was of course running late. He was at an afternoon Cubs game and he swore to AJ he wouldn't be late for dinner. She was already dressed and ready to go and he was nowhere to be found. She was wearing one of his favorite dresses on her, a short tight red dress. He just loved anything red and tight on her. He was so easy sometimes. When the doorbell rang AJ raced over careful not to fall over in her red pumps that perfectly matched her dress. She looked threw the peep hole and didn't recognize the man but he seemed old and harmless.

"Can I help you?" AJ asked him opening the door only on a crack

"Hello dear" the man smiled wide "You must be Mrs. Brooks"

"That's right" AJ said unsurely "And you are?"

"Mr. Brooks" Arlo grinned "Not your Mr. Brooks unfortunately"

When Punk pulled up to his home a half hour later he looked at the time on his phone and cursed under his breath. AJ was going to kill him for being so late. He jumped out and ran inside but froze upon the smiling sitting in what was deemed 'his chair' in his living room.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Punk asked his birth father closing the door behind him

"Happy Birthday!" Arlo greeted with a laugh

"Here you go" AJ said walking in and handing Arlo a cup of coffee

"AJ?" Punk asked stunned "What are you doing?"

"He came by to wish you a happy birthday" AJ shrugged

"I don't want him here" Punk said to her in shock that she would actually let him into their home.

"I'm sitting right her" Arlo reminded him

"Yea I fucking see you" Punk spat "Get out"

"Phil" AJ scolded

"Out" Punk said pointing to the door

"Fine" Arlo placed his coffee down and stood up. "I just wanted to meet your wife"

"I bet" Punk said keeping his eyes on him while he opened the door so he'd leave.

"She's lovely" Arlo said to him seriously and turned and looked back to AJ. "It was nice meeting you dear"

"You too" AJ smiled and gave him a wave and Punk looked towards her as if she was crazy

"I'm out now obviously" Arlo said as he stepped outside and looked towards Punk "I was thinking-" before he could finish Punk slammed the door in his fathers face.

"What would posses you to invite that criminal into our home?" Punk asked AJ

"He was sweet" AJ shrugged

"Do you need a run down of my family history? Remember what my birth brother did to you?" Punk asked her

"I could have taken that old man" AJ smirked "He's harmless, a little flirtatious but he was very nice and polite to me"

"You can't not trust that man" Punk warned him

"I didn't invite him to move in" she reminded him "Just for coffee and maybe if you were on time I wouldn't have been here to answer the door" she pointed out

"What did he talk to you about?" Punk asked her "Wanted to know how much money I was making? Did you check to make sure your wallet was still in your purse?"

"He actually said he wanted to say happy birthday to you and introduce himself to me" AJ said to him "He wasn't here long but he did ask about Daniel"

"I bet he's very proud of his boy" Punk mocked shaking his head as he pulled off his jersey and tossed it on the nearest chair.

"Actually he apologized" AJ said surprising him "He said if he was more careful with Daniel maybe he would have turned out to be like the kind of man you were"

"Don't buy anything he says" Punk warned "And do me a favor? Don't let him back in here. He probably stole something" He said looking around the living room

"He did not" AJ sighed folding his arms "Now go upstairs and get ready for dinner"

"I don't want to go anymore" Punk mumbled

"Stop being a baby and don't let Arlo ruin your night" AJ warned "Go upstairs and get dressed because we're already late"

* * *

The dinner was nice but again Punk could have done without the fancy restaurant but to AJ's surprise he went out of his way to appease his mother and put on a huge smile and pretended it was the birthday ever. AJ was more in love with him then before.

"So when can we go?" Punk asked as the waiter collected their dishes

"We just had dinner" AJ reminded him in a whisper "We still have to have cake"

"I want to get to your surprise" Punk said looking at her slender legs then moved his eyes back up to her face

"I thought you were mad at me" AJ reminded him

"I was but I'm not anymore" Punk admitted "I can't stay mad at you"

"You're going to get birthday sex regardless, no need to suck up" AJ teased

"Not sucking up. Simply speaking the truth" he smiled at her.

While everyone chatted amongst themselves at the table AJ pulled a card of her purse and slid it over to him.

"There's your surprise" AJ said to him. He picked up the envelope and shook it.

"Doesn't feel like a new car" Punk teased

"Just open it you goof" she laughed. He ripped open the envelope and two plane tickets were inside. "We leave tomorrow morning"

"You're sending me to Hawaii?" Punk asked looking at the tickets

"Yes all by yourself" she said seriously then glared at him "I'm coming with you!" she laughed

"This is great" Punk smiled

"Seven days in paradise" AJ said to him "And I have all these greats activities planned out. We're going to go on a hike and surfing, get massages, go jet skiing. We've never really gone away together before I mean we went to Mexico but we were still so new into dating and it was kind of tense"

"I've never been to Hawaii" Punk said looking at the tickets

"I know I remember you saying it" AJ said to him "I'm sure you won't be too surprised when I tell you I've never been there before either"

"Thank you" He smiled and cupped her cheek to give her a sweet kiss.

"And Devon has said he's going to run The Cellar, Dean has SXS under control" AJ said to him hopefully

"I don't care if the clubs ran themselves" Punk smirked "I want to get away with you"

"I know it's last minute but I wanted it to be a surprise" AJ said to him

"How did you pay for all of this without me knowing?" Punk asked her seriously

"I do have my ways" AJ said proudly

"You do know that Elliot has a private plane we could have taken?" Punk asked her amused

"He offered but I wanted to pay and do all of this on my own" AJ said to him proudly "I also packed for you"

"Can we go now?" Punk asked seriously

"No" she smiled and he pulled her into another kiss

"At the dinner table, really?" Devon asked sitting across from them "Why do I always have to sit across from them?" he asked himself

"You'd kiss her constantly too if she was your wife" he said smiling at AJ.

"Probably" Devon agreed with a shrug

"Enough" Elliot laughed "Let's raise a toast to Punk" he said holding up his glass "Happy Birthday son"

"Thank you and thank you for this dinner" Punk said looking towards his mother who smiled happily "And for all of you for coming out tonight, it means a lot. Especially my wife who has made this the happiest birthday ever"

"How come I wasn't invited to Hawaii?" Dean asked seriously and Mia slapped his arm

"They're working on making me a niece or a nephew" Mia hissed. Though they had gotten the news a few months ago Devon was still the only Klein to know.

"Can't we just have this cake already?" Devon asked the table "I have a late business meeting" he said putting the attention back on himself and off of the baby topic.

"A business meeting at this time?" Jennifer asked him

"Are you still banging Nikki?" Dean asked with a laugh

"That's not a business meeting" Mia shot at him

"Sure it is" Devon defended "I'm thinking of having her work at The Cellar with me next week"

"What? No" Punk said annoyed "If she's there that means John will be there"

"What do you even care you're going to be in the most beautiful place with your hot wife" Devon reminded him bitterly

"That is true" Punk grinned happily "Burn the club to the ground for all I care"

"We still want a club to come back to" AJ said to him

"I may not want to ever come back" Punk said seriously "We can just buy a house on the beach"

"What about work?" AJ asked him

"We'll buy a surf shop or something" Punk shrugged

"What do you know about surfing?" Devon laughed

"About the same amount I knew about clubs before I started running one" Punk shot at him

"No you two have to come home preferably with a grandchild" Jennifer laughed as she sipped on her drink

Punk looked over to AJ who just smiled at the comment and then moved his hand over AJ's hand that was resting on her knee and gave it a squeeze. He wished she had told the rest of the family about her medical issues but she begged him to keep it private it was almost as if she was ashamed which she shouldn't have felt. He respected her wishes but was hoping the baby comments would end for her sake.

* * *

"Stop being such a grump" AJ said reading a magazine in the seat next to him.

"It's just you picked such an early flight by the time we got home we didn't have time to celebrate my birthday" He said gazing out the window as if he was a child. The first class seats were nice too. Very spacious and Punk still wasn't happy. "And we clearly didn't have time in the morning"

"You're going to get laid every night we are in Hawaii so relax" she laughed turning the page in her magazine. "You might even get lucky the minute we land since I am ovulating today"

"Really?" Punk asked "Like right this second?"

"Yup" She said casually and looked over to him when she felt him looking at her

"We should try right now" He said seriously and AJ peered around and looked at all of the people on the plane.

"Sure, I'll just pull this blanket up and no one will ever know what we're doing" AJ mocked referring to the blanket resting over her lap.

"We'll just go into the bathroom" he shrugged as if it was not a big deal at all.

"Are you crazy?" she laughed

"A little" he said honestly

"I'll still be ovulating when we land" She smirked

"But this will better out chances" Punk reminded her "You go in first and I'll meet you in two minutes" He whispered

"No" She laughed "Have you ever done it on a plane before?"

"Yes" He said without hesitation

"So you know how small those bathrooms are?" She asked him

"I'm used to Elliot's jet" Punk shrugged

"So how many women have you flown out and-" Punk cut her off before she could finish her sentence

"Don't be such a prude" Punk teased "You're the one who is always trying to get me to do it outside and in public places."

"That's a bathroom" AJ reminded him

"We've had sex in bathrooms before" Punk said to her simply

"No" she said picking back up her magazine.

"Fine" he said seemingly giving in.

Five minutes into ready her magazine she felt his hand move under the blanket that was covering her lap.

"Phil" she warned not even looking over to him

"What?" he asked innocently as he began to palm her over her jeans.

"You are not playing fair" she warned him "I said when we land"

"I'm not saying a word" Punk reminded her "But this is going to be a very long flight"

"Yea" AJ agreed trying to concentrate on her magazine but Punk's hands were distracting her.

"I'm just trying to keep busy" he said to her smoothly

"Can't you keep busy in your own personal space?" she asked him

"I could but your space is so much more fun" He told her honestly. She felt him play with the button of her jeans then the zipper. She was biting on her lower lip fully expecting him to torture her on this endless flight but he pulled his hand away and jumped out of his seat.

"Where are you going?" she asked almost desperately

"The bathroom" He said simply "Too much coffee" he then stepped over and into the aisle and headed towards the bathroom.

AJ watched with wide eyes as he stepped into the probably way too small and after a few seconds she tossed the blanket off of herself and pulled her shirt down to cover her undone fly and button and walked quickly to the bathroom and just as she suspected he left the door unlocked for her. She stepped inside and Punk was clearly waiting for her.

"You are such a bastard" She muttered kicking off of her shoes.

"I don't know what you're talking about" He said amused as he watched her try to get her jeans off in the very small space.

"There just isn't enough space" AJ muttered

"You should have worn a dress" He smirked undoing his own his pants now

"I wasn't expecting to be ravished in the bathroom of all places on a long flight" AJ said to him

"We've been married for more than half a year now and you didn't expect this, really?" Punk asked seriously and she glared at him

"When do you think the last time this bathroom was cleaned?" She asked him

"I'm not thinking about that now" Punk said eyeing her from the waist down "You're not wearing any pants or underwear.

AJ grabbed Punk by his shirt causing him to press her into the door. Without stopping the kiss or opening his eyes Punk reached behind her and locked the door as she moved her hand over him and began to jerk at him until he became hard which didn't take long.

"We really have to be fast" she warned him as he kissed down her jaw line and moved his hands over her covered breasts. "People were looking at me as I came in"

"Because you're beautiful" he muttered nipping at her skin "Everyone can't help but stare" his hand ran over her slit to make sure she was wet enough for him which she was, he loved that she was always ready for him.

"Please" she pleaded trying to push into him. She moved her hands over his hips and tugged down his loose jeans and boxers more so he had more room.

"Please what?" he asked nipping at her lips

"Really? You're going to make me beg?" she asked desperately "You started this" she reminded him.

Punk lifted her up against the door and dropped her so he slid into her with ease. She hissed at the sensation and he began to thrust his hips into her as he placed his mouth over her shoulder. He lightly bit into her causing her to yelp slightly but moan at the same time.

"That's it Phil" she moaned

"Shhh" he laughed. He didn't take into consideration how loud is beautiful wife was.

"I can't" she cried as he moved harder to speed this up before they really did caught.

"People are going to think I'm torturing you" He teased

"You are" She said as her head slammed against the door causing him to cringe.

"Babe" he warned

"I told you….this….was a bad…idea" she moaned loudly

"Fuck AJ" he muttered and moved his finger over her clit to speed her up. With one arm wrapped around her his free hand moved her mouth and closed it shut. She was thankful for it because she wasn't sure she could keep it down. "Come on, come on" He muttered moving harder causing her to slam it to the door and now he was sure what they were doing wasn't much of a secret but regardless he had to finish her. "Babe you've gotta let go"

Punk felt her tighten around him and let go just as he requested causing him to hurl into his own climax. Punk removed his hand from her mouth and carefully pulled out of her. They took a few minutes to clean themselves up before dressing.

"Do you think anyone will know?" She asked him

"No" Punk lied

"I'll go out first" AJ told him then stepped out of the bathroom and saw a few people waiting for it. She was blushing and rushed right past the people who didn't seem pleased then Punk walked out but he wasn't blushing he was on cloud nine. He just walked by the annoyed group with a smug face and joined his wife.

"Never again" AJ warned him

"That was fun" Punk reasoned "And now you've joined the mile high club"

"Imagine if I did get pregnant?" AJ asked him "Our child would have been conceived in a dirty airplane bathroom"

"But at least our child would have been conceived out love" he pointed out

"Something that neither of us were" AJ agreed and he nodded "Look I know this isn't easy for you and I'm coming to terms with it. We need to be realistic about it."

"About what?" Punk asked

"Having our own baby" AJ sighed "You've been patient and I know I had been adamant about carrying our child and it being from both of us but I've been thinking" she said moving around in her seat to she was looking at him seriously "We may not be able to have a baby that's half me, half you but you can still contribute"

"AJ-" He started

"I know it's important to you" AJ argued before he could finish "Just think about it. Women do this all of the time we'll use her egg and your sperm"

"I don't have to think about it" Punk said to her "I think it's very sweet that you'd do that for me but I don't want to do this without you" he told her "It's not going to matter if our child has our DNA or not we'll love it just the same"

"You're really set on adoption?" AJ asked him

"No" He said to her "But it's an option. There's a foster home in Chicago that Elliot donates to and when we were younger me, Devon and Mia used to go there and hang out with some of the kids. They need a family just like you did growing and like I did. Or if you're set on having a newborn baby we can start talking to adoption agencies and get our name out there or at least look into it"

"I don't want to think about any of that" AJ told him abruptly "I just want to enjoy this vacation, no stress, no work just us" she said to him with a smile "Can you do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you" he promised


	48. Made For You

**Made For You**

* * *

Day four in Hawaii was the day AJ planned for them to hike. Punk was loving the relaxation of Hawaii, waking up to the smell of the ocean, the hot air, the late nights with AJ and now they were going hiking together.

"Isn't this so pretty?" AJ asked as they followed the trail together.

"Yes you are" He said as he trailed behind her. She was wearing tight workout pants and a small workout tank top.

"I meant the view" She smirked looking back at him

"That's what I was talking about" He said seriously, he hadn't taken his eyes off of her the entire trip and today was no different. She looked back at him again and smiled at the fact that he had no shirt on and just a pair of shorts and sneakers. He had also gotten a lot of color these last few days and was looking extra good. "I like that we left the phones at the resort, no interruptions just us"

"It is peaceful" she agreed

"I'm telling you we should just get a little shack out here and never go back" he said seriously

"You'd miss Chicago" AJ reminded him "You love it there"

"Love you more" He said to her

"How about we just enjoy the rest of the week" she suggested

"Fine" he said as he followed her up higher.

"Thirsty?" She asked reaching into her batman bag and pulling out a water bottle.

"Yea" He said gratefully taking the bottling and sipping on it. "We've been at this for over an hour how much further?"

"It can't be much further" She noted reading the map "Once we hit the top of the waterfall that's when we know we made it" she told him

"Then we can jump in and swim back to the start?" he asked hopefully

"Sure you an jump in but you'll miss the rest of our vacation due to dying from jumping into all of the rocks they have" AJ said to him

"I'm glad you told me before I just jumped" Punk said causing her to laugh

"You wait here" She said to him

"Where are you going?" He asked her "I don't think you should really wander off"

"I have to go to the bathroom" she whispered as if someone could hear them but it was just the two of them

"Ok so go right here" Punk said to her

"In front of you?" she asked with wide eyes

"Yes" he said mocking her surprised tone and facial reaction "We don't have phones I don't want to lose you up here"

"I'll be fine" she said to him

"Why are you embarrassed to pee in front of me?" he asked seriously

"Because it's just weird" She cringed slightly

"We're married" Punk reminded her "I've seen you naked"

"Some things should just be kept private" She argued "You wait here, I'll be right over there"

"Fine" He said to her "But seriously try not to go far I'll wait right here"

"Deal" she said then wandered past some trees and bushes.

AJ did her business and walked over to the edge of the cliff they climbing and saw the river running. It was so rough as it smacked against the rocks but beautiful at the same time. She smiled and turned around to call Phil over. AJ let out a scream as she twisted her ankle from turning to quickly and stumbled right over the edge.

"AJ?!" Punk called out "AJ!" he screamed now

"Phil!" She yelled back "Help me!" She screamed

"Keep talking AJ!" he encouraged so he could find her.

"Down here!" she yelled and he walked over to the edge of the cliff carefully and saw her dangling. She had caught on to a branch before plummeting down into the deadly river.

"Shit" He muttered getting to his knees and reached his arm down but she was a little too far down for him to grab her. "Reach out to me" he instructed keeping his arm extended

"I can't" She said holding on for dear life as her legs dangled "I'll fall or worse- drag you down with me"

"Just do it AJ" he said trying to extend his arm further

"I really can't" She said then looked down at the water

"Don't look down" he warned "AJ please just reach, even if it's a little I'll be able to pull you up"

"Maybe you should just call for help?" AJ suggested

"That branch will break before I even make it halfway back down" Punk argued trying to reach for her again "Please AJ just try"

"If I let go I'll fall" she argued

"If you don't try you'll fall!" he pointed out "Damn it AJ try!" he screamed.

"I'm scared" She admitted and her fearful face terrified him

"Hey look at me" Punk said to her seriously "I will not let you fall, I will never let you fall" he promised "Now just reach- just a little even and I will you up her"

AJ slowly on pried her hand from the branch and before she could even try to reach up Punk had gripped so hard she was sure her wrist was going to break and pulled her up with one strong arm. Once she was at the ledge of the cliff he tugged her all the way back to safety and she crawled right into his arms as he sat trying to catching his breath from the adrenaline rush.

"Are you ok?" he asked kissing her head and holding her as tightly as possible.

"Yes" She said visibly shaking from the fear of almost falling to her death.

Once he calmed himself ten minutes later he untangled himself from her and stood up.

"How about we head back down?" Punk asked her

"Yea good idea" She said with a pale face and he grabbed her hand to help her up but she yelped in pain. "I twisted my ankle" she said hobbling on it.

"Careful" he warned holding on her arms.

"It's ok" AJ assured him

"Let me see" he said helping her over to a large rock and seating her on it. He took her sneaker off carefully and removed her sock. "It's a little swollen" he noted running his fingers over it "It's not broke"

"It's fine I can walk back" she assured him

"Are you sure?" he asked looking at her seriously

"Yea" she said with a wave of her hand. He placed her shoe back on and helped her to her feet again and let go of her slowly and watched as she steadied herself. "See?" she said forcing a smile "All good" she then limped ahead of him causing him to cringe slightly knowing she was in a lot of pain.

"You can't walk over a mile on that ankle" he warned her

"What other option do we have?" she asked him seriously "I can do this" she said to him

"Fine" He said to her and followed behind her.

At this rate they wouldn't even make it back down it had only been twenty minutes and AJ hadn't made it very far at all.

"It's enough" Punk said abruptly causing her to stop

"I'm good I swear" she assured him. Punk ignored her and walked in front of her then knelt down.

"Come on" He said not looking back at her

"You can't carry me all the way back down" She argued

"Sure I can" Punk said to her "Hop on" he encouraged

"This will kill you" AJ warned

"No watching you limp in pain is killing me" He said to her "Let's go" AJ didn't argued because of the pain in her ankle and wrapped her warms around his neck from behind and as he stood she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Are you sure you're ok doing this?" she asked "It's so hot out"

"You weigh nothing" Punk informed her "This is fine"

"You really are the best" AJ smiled happily

"Yes I am" he agreed causing her to snicker as he ventured down the trail with her.

* * *

Later that night AJ was sitting up in bed with a pillow under ankle and a bag of ice on top. Punk had a doctor come and check her out and it wasn't broken but just sprained. She'd be back on her feet shortly.

"Sorry" AJ said to her husband as he carried in a tray of food for her.

"For what?" He asked

"Ruining the trip. But I should be fine by tomorrow as long as we don't go running or hiking" AJ said to him

"You didn't ruin anything by spraining your ankle" He told her "You almost falling to your death would have really dampened the vacation though" he teased

"Yea that would have sucked." She laughed "But you pulled me up just like you promised" she said looking over to him

"Did you really doubt that I would?" he questioned smugly

"No" AJ smiled lightly "You're going to make such a great dad" she admitted

"I thought we agreed not to discuss this" Punk pointed out

"I know but almost falling stupidly to your own death really changes your perspective" AJ said to him

"Last time you had a near death experience you decided to have children I'm almost afraid to ask what you're thinking now" he smirked

"It's nothing so out there" AJ assured him "But the adoption thing seems like a better idea"

"Ok well we don't have to decide on anything now" Punk said to her and she just nodded. "Eat" he demanded pushing the tray closer to her.

* * *

Two days later Punk and AJ were trying to soak up their last day together in Hawaii. AJ was still limping slightly but was able to go out and enjoy the day, which they spent at the beach until dark.

"Let's go back" Punk said to her "We haven't even used the hot tub yet"

"We have one at home" AJ reminded him

"But one in Hawaii is so different" Punk argued "When we first met you were terrified of the ocean and now I can't pry you away from it"

"The ocean here is beautiful" she said to him "So clean and I can see the bottom"

"That is true" Punk agreed and watched as AJ stood up and untied her bikini top and dropped it on the towel.

"Sex on the beach…again?" he asked intrigued

"Oh god no" she laughed sliding down her bottoms "I learned the hard way never to do that again"

"What the hell are you doing?" Punk asked arching a brow

"You ever go skinny dipping before?" she asked with a grin then walked the few feet into the ocean. Punk watched in awe as his wife jumped in the wave and giggled. "Are you coming!" She yelled out

"Not yet but that'll happen so enough!" He yelled back not referring to skinny-dipping obviously….

"Come in with me!" she encouraged and he stood up and slid off his own boxers and joined in her the ocean.

Once Punk was close enough she leapt into his arms nearly toppling him.

"Have you had a good birthday week?" she asked him

"The best" he admitted as the waved hit them. "All thanks to you" he then waited for her to reach down and kiss him, which she did so happily. "Marrying you is the best thing I have ever done in my life"

"And to think when we first started to date you wanted to just have sex with me" she reminded him

"That's not really true" Punk said to her "Well sort of true, I definitely wanted to have sex with you but I was so fucking drawn to you and not just physically" he admitted "You're the best thing in my life"

"You are my life" she challenged smoothing out his damp hair

"But you've got to stop scaring me" He warned "No more kidnappings or hanging out on cliffs" she smiled at his request

"I promise" she said to him "Imagine I really did go over that cliff?" she asked with a laugh

"You find the strangest things funny" he noted frowning at her "It would have sucked if you went over because I was going to have jump in after you" he admitted

"Don't be stupid" she said to him "You would have been as dead as I was"

"Or by some miracle we would have been ok" Punk shrugged

"Do you believe in miracles?" she asked with an almost hopeful tone

"Yea I do" he said to her balancing her so her could move some of her wet hair out of her eyes "Luck not so much but miracles? Definitely. I've seen them happen"

"Like what?" she asked curiously

"Jennifer taking me in when I had no home" Punk admitted "I was an asshole kid it was truly a miracle she gave me a chance"

"I bet you were a cute kid" she teased pinching his cheek

"Yea" He scoffed "I think Jennifer and Elliot would disagree. You're a miracle too."

"I was an accident" She corrected him with a laugh

"No way" he disagreed "You were put on this earth for me. I don't believe in god or anything but you were made for me" he told her sweetly "That I have no doubt about"

"I can't wait to start a family with you. You have so much love in your heart and you don't even realize it" she said to him

"My heart beats for you" Punk reminded her

"Well you're going to need to make room for a child" she warned "I want to move forward with anything. We can do this"

"There's no doubt it my mind that we can do this" he agreed as AJ leant down to kiss him he pulled away confusing her "I hate to kill the mood but you're butt naked and I know this because my hands are gripping your ass and you're all wet and sticking to me…I'm harder than a rock. We really need to go back to the room"

* * *

Mia and Dean arrived at Punk and AJ's to feed Henry while they were away.

"Do you wish you lived in a place this big?" Dean asked Mia as they walked to AJ's office

"Nah I grew up in a big house I want something nice and small" Mia said to him

"Look at all of these fucking books" Dean said looking at the shelves covered in books "There's no way she really read every single one"

"I'm sure she did" Mia laughed

"I've been reading The Great Gatsby for like six months" Dean snorted annoyed.

"Dean" Mia said confused "Where's Henry?" she asked him. Dean walked over to the cage and saw it was empty.

"Maybe he got out?" Dean said immediately looking to the floor

"The cage is locked" Mia argued "There's no other way out and I doubt he jumped out of his cage then locked it" she mocked "And I know I locked this cage last night before we left"

"Yea I remember" Dean said to her "What the fuck happened to it?"

"Punk is going to kill me" Mia said to him

"I won't let him kill you" Dean assured her

"I mean it Dean this is serious!" Mia yelled "We have got to find this rabbit!"

"Alright but if we don't because this place is way too fucking big we'll just replace it" he shrugged "What's the big deal"

"You can't just replace a pet for somebody" Mia argued "You look up here and I'll look downstairs.

"Good thing this rabbit is fat" Dean noted "He wouldn't fit under anything"

"Look for droppings" Mia told him

"What's that?" Dean asked

"Poop" She said simply and he scrunched his face up and then the two began the search for Henry….

* * *

Punk dropped AJ onto the bed not caring she was still wet from her dip in the ocean. She only wrapped a towel around her so she was completely nude and ready for him. She crawled up to the pillows while Punk discarded his swim trunks and jumped onto top of her and entered her without any warning.

"Oh my god" She moaned arching her back.

Punk placed his hands on he headboard over her head for leverage to make his thrusts even harder. She moved her hands over his back but then realized he had gotten a little sun burned there.

"It's ok" he said to her as she moved her hands to her sides and dug her finger nails into the sheets. "Touch me" he encouraged "I want to feel you" he said briefly looking down at her as he gripped the head board even harder. His knuckled were turning white almost.

AJ moved her hands over his back and couldn't help but leave long scratches down it that she was sure he was bleeding. The harder she dug into his flesh the harder he pushed into her and AJ liked that a lot actually. The bed was squeaking loudly and the headboard was hitting against the wall roughly. AJ gasped as he hit her g-spot perfectly and that's all it took as she clenched and climaxed around him.

"Baby" he muttered pulling out of her and releasing the headboard "Are you ok?"

"Mhmm" she smiled with her eyes closed "Come on" she encouraged knowing he didn't finish but was actually able to pause in the moment to make sure he hadn't hurt her, he was not your typical at all.

Punk spread her legs as far as he could which was pretty far giving her insane flexibility and entered very slowly this time. She was almost relieved when she felt him penetrate her again but he managed to go slower, almost too slow but it gave her enough to recover from her last orgasm. AJ kept her legs spread but bent her knees so her feet were flat against the bed so she could match his thrusts.

"You're close again" Punk noted knowing her body better than she even did.

"You have to come with me" she said to him

"Only if you open your eyes" He said pushing into her but stilling until her eyes slowly opened. "So beautiful" he said fondly and then moved again. They reached their climaxes together this time and Punk dropped onto her body. "I love you" he whispered into her ear right near where his head was resting.

"I love you more" she whispered back

* * *

When Punk and AJ arrived at home they felt refreshed and relaxed. Punk being the true gentleman he was carried in her luggage for her but both was surprised that Mia and Dean were already in the house.

"You both are here but neither of you could have picked us up?" Punk asked them dropping their bags by the door.

"Oh stop" AJ laughed and walked over and gave them a hug

"You two look so fantastic" Mia beamed

"You do AJ" Dean smiled towards AJ then looked at Punk "You could use some work"

"Nice" Punk mumbled "So what are you doing here?"

"We have some bad news" Dean started very seriously and now both Punk and AJ looked concerned

"What happened?" Punk asked feeling his chest tighten

"There was an accident and Devon-" Dean started but Mia slapped his stomach

"Don't lie to them" Mia hissed

"When you give someone bad news you give them worse fake news first" Dean argued

"What the hell is going on?" Punk demanded

"Henry is gone" Mia blurted out

"What?" AJ asked startled "What do you mean? He died?"

"No!" Mia assured her

"Actually we're not sure" Dean added

"What happened?" Punk asked the two

"We came by last night to feed him and he wasn't in his cage" Mia told them "But his cage was closed so I don't know what happened. We've been here all night looking for him"

"We checked this place from top to bottom and didn't find any sign of him" Dean told them

"What could have happened?" AJ asked looking over to Punk

"There wasn't even rabbit droppings anywhere" Mia told them "It's like he disappeared from thin air"

"He's got to be here, right?" AJ asked looking over to Punk

"Yea I'm sure he got out or something" Punk assured her "We'll find him"

"Dude he's gone" Dean said and Punk shot him a death glare "Or we just missed him" he added with a smile for AJ

"I'm going to go check my closet because sometimes he likes to sneak in there" She said then rushed up the stairs

"We seriously looked everywhere" Mia said to Punk "I am so sorry I feel horrible"

"It's not your fault" Dean said to her and Punk looked over to him "Seriously I know she locked that cage because it was still locked yesterday"

"I don't know what could have happened" Mia admitted "Dean thinks someone broke in. He spent more time checking doors then looking for Henry" She accused

"How about you go upstairs and help AJ?" Punk asked her "Give me a minute with Dean"

"Fine" Mia muttered "Leave me out of the loop but just know Dean will tell me later" She warned him as she stomped up the stairs

"I won't tell her" Dean said to him "Unless she pinches me"

"Was someone in my house?" Punk asked him

"I can't think of what else could have happened to the rabbit" Dean admitted "But your doors were all good. Any suspects?"

"Arlo was here" Punk said to him and Dean looked very surprised by that statement

"He's out of prison?" Dean asked

"Yea and AJ invited him in for coffee" Punk said to him and Dean smirked

"Your wife is something else" Dean noted "There's a lot of expensive crap you have in here I can't imagine him taking a rabbit and leaving your rare hockey card collection or AJ's jewelry" Punk started to think Dean was right "Or the rabbit really did just get out of the cage"

"Then he has to be here" Punk said to him "I just talked AJ into this kid thing and now we lost the rabbit? She'll freak out"

"What are you talking about? I thought she talked you into it" Dean laughed

"You can't tell Mia" Punk warned

"Fuck" Dean muttered "But ok"

"AJ can't have children" Punk confided "She found out a few months ago"

"Oh shit" Dean said slowly "I'm sorry man"

"We're looking into adoption or fostering a child" Punk admitted "She hated the idea but this week she decided she wanted to look. I set up a meeting at the foster center in the City for later this week so she can meet with councilors and meet some of the kids"

"I think that's great" Dean said to him "I hope it all works out"

"But AJ is pretty fragile" Punk admitted "I also don't want to bring a kid into this house if someone has broken into recently"

"Even if someone did break in they're long gone" Dean assured him "Maybe you should just change the locks just to play it safe"

"I just don't know who breaks into a multi-million dollar home and takes just a rabbit?" Punk said aloud but mostly to himself.

* * *

"Here you go Henry" Daniel Bryan said placing a carrot stick inside Henry's new home. "I know I'm no AJ but you'll get used to me" He said to him as he petted him then closed his cage door.


	49. Adding To The Family

**Adding To The Family**

* * *

Later in the week Punk and AJ arrived at the foster center where Elliot was the premiere donor. AJ was still iffy about the entire idea but Punk talked her into just meeting with the directors and hanging out with some of the children.

"Mr &amp; Mrs. Brooks welcome" A cheerful older woman greeted shaking their hands "We were so thrilled to get your call"

AJ didn't pay much attention to what the director had to say since she had grown up in-group homes likes this. Unlike Punk, AJ was familiar with all of this. She glanced around the large playroom and saw children from ages 5 to probably 13 hanging around. Her heart broke for these children hoping for a home and she knew how most of them would end up.

Someone did catch AJ's attention, while a lot of the children were playing in groups or at least with another child AJ spotted someone reading a comic book in the corner of the room and walked over.

"I love that one" AJ announced and the magazine fell from the child's face to reveal a little girl who couldn't be more than 10.

"What do you know about comics?" she asked narrowing her eyes.

"More than you think" AJ said proudly

"You want a gold star or something?" the girl shot at her and AJ smiled at the remark.

"No I was just wondering why such a pretty little girl was hiding in the corner of a room" AJ said with a shrug

"Because I'm not a baby" the girl told her "Families poor in here and they want a baby someone they can mold into their family. I'm not that kind of girl."

"What kind of girl are you?" AJ asked her

"One that doesn't need a family to take her in because they decided they can't wait to have one of their own" the girl told her honestly

"You think that's how it works?" AJ asked her

"I've been taken in by two families when I was younger and once they decided to have their own baby I was shipped back here" the girl informed her

"How old are you?" AJ asked eyeing her.

"I'm 11" the girl told her "Way past the age of what you're looking for." She said picking up her magazine

"How do you know what I'm looking for?" AJ asked her

"Because you're young and want a little baby with your rich husband who won't give you any problems" the girl informed her

"I'm not that young" AJ defended

"You're probably closer to my age then your husbands" she said nodding towards Punk who was chatting with the director

"That's not true" AJ said to her "And careful with the age jokes he's sensitive" she teased

"He doesn't look very sensitive" the girl said looking over to him again

"Don't let the tattoos fool you" AJ said to her "So what's your name?"

"Dani" she told her

"Short for Danielle?" AJ asked her

"No it's just Dani" she told AJ "I think my parents wanted a boy"

"It's a pretty name" AJ said to her

"It's a boy name" Dani said to her

"My name could be a boys name" AJ shrugged

"What's your name?" Dani asked her curiously

"AJ" she told her

"Better than Dani" the young girl mumbled

"How come you aren't playing with the other kids?" AJ asked her

"Because they all leave" Dani told her "I'm one of the oldest kids here"

"I know what that feels like" AJ said to her

"Do you now?" the girl asked slightly annoyed "Everyone thinks they know"

"I grew up just like you" AJ said to her "So yea I get it"

"Well then you know there's not much out there for me" the girl told her then stood up and walked away

"AJ do you want to take the tour?" Punk asked coming up behind her

"Um yea sure" She said forcing a smile.

After taking a tour AJ felt better knowing what a good place this was for the children but she couldn't stop thinking of Dani and how much she reminded her of herself at that age, angry, bitter and vulnerable.

"Do you guys have any questions?" the director asked

"No I don't think so" Punk said looking towards AJ

"I have one" AJ said surprising Punk, she had been so quiet during the trip he thought she was already over this idea already. "That girl Dani I was talking to, what's her story?"

"Her mom passed and her dad gave her up right after" the director told them "She's got a very tough shell but she's a marshmallow inside"

"Can I hang out with her maybe?" AJ asked her

"If it's alright with her, I think it's great actually" The director said to her "Give me a minute" she then walked away

"You really liked her, huh?" Punk asked

"I know what she feels like" AJ said to him "She reminds me of you a little bit actually"

"Oh really?" Punk laughed "You think my personality is similar to a ten year old girl?"

"She's eleven" AJ corrected "And I think you should meet her."

"Whatever you want" Punk said to her and that's when the director arrived with Dani

"Hey kid" Punk said extending his hand

"Hey old man" she grinned shaking his hand in return causing AJ to snicker a laugh as Punk's face fell. "You were right he is sensitive" she said to AJ.

"I'm not old" Punk informed the young girl smugly

"And I'm not a kid" she shot back with a smug look of her own

"Isn't she cute?" AJ asked Punk with a smile

"Yea real adorable" he said giving Dani a mocking look

"If you want a kid whose too young to speak you're on the wrong floor" Dani said folding her arms

"I think we'll manage" Punk smirked

* * *

AJ and Punk had both spending a lot of time with Dani the next two weeks. She was witty and downright mean sometimes but for some reason that had only drawn AJ and Punk both to her more.

"So you guys picked a kid?" Dean asked casually

"It's not like they went to a shelter and picked out a dog" Devon shot at Dean as both were in Punk's office at The Cellar.

"We met a kid and we both like her" Punk said to her

"How old is she?" Dean asked

"Too young for you to date" Punk shot at him

"Woah come on man" Dean defended

"I just assume you look to date any female I'm connected to" Punk said to him and Dean rolled his eyes "And she's 11"

"That's not a kid" Dean said to him "She's almost a teen"

"So?" Punk asked "Doesn't mean she doesn't need a home or a family"

"I agree" Devon said to him "So if you're thinking about taking her in when are you going to tell mom and dad?"

"I was thinking of bringing her to Sunday dinner but we want to talk to her first" Punk said to him

"So you're really going to adopt her?" Dean asked

"Foster her" Punk corrected "If she doesn't like it she doesn't have to stay"

"Taking in a kid at that age isn't going to be easy" Dean reminded him "Especially a girl"

"No it's not but AJ and I are willing to try and AJ adores her and loves hanging out with her" Punk told them

"What about you?" Devon asked "This is a huge commitment and it not only effects you it effects a little girl too"

"I like her" Punk admitted "She's not like a girly girl either. I took her to the Blackhawks game two days ago and she knew almost more facts about the team then I did" he smirked "We're going to have to work on her language"

"She doesn't speak English?" Dean asked and Devon rolled his eyes

"No you idiot" Punk shot at him "She curses a lot. Jennifer might pass out at the dinner table if Dani drops something and then drops the F bomb after" he laughed to himself

"They still don't know AJ can't have a child?" Devon asked him

"No and I don't want to even bring it up Sunday because I don't want Dani to think that's why we want her." Punk said to him "She's very sensitive"

"Like you huh?" Dean asked seriously

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Punk asked annoyed

"It's true" Devon muttered with a laugh "I am looking forward to meeting your new daughter"

"You seem more excited then I am" Punk noted

"I've been waiting a very long time for you to have a kid just like you were" Devon grinned "It's called karma"

Before Punk could respond his phone began to ring and he didn't recognize the number but decided to answer in case it was Roman or someone else with a lead on where the hell Daniel had run off to.

"Yea?" Punk answered "Yea that's me….yea ok…no, no I'll be right down there" he then hung up and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Devon asked "We have a business meeting in ten minutes"

"I have more important things to deal with" he said grabbing his keys "You stay and Dean will stand in for me"

"No fucking way" Devon said

"Come on bro" Dean grinned

"Do not call me that" Devon warned him "What's so important anyway?"

Punk didn't answer and just strolled out of the office.

* * *

Punk pulled up outside the deli that called him and looked around the neighborhood and rolled his eyes. It wasn't the best and he would have preferred to not be parking outside of here. But Punk strolled inside casually and saw a man who had assumed to be the owner standing next to Dani who was sitting in a chair fuming with her arms folded.

"Dani" Punk announced and she looked up to him

"Hey Punk" she said starting to get out of her chair but the owner placed his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back into the chair.

"She stole from me" The owner told him

"What did she take?" Punk asked the man

"A soda and a bag of chips" the man told him and Punk rolled his eyes

"I didn't steal it!" Dani shouted "If I was going to steal it I would have."

"You put it in your bag" the man shot at her

"Because I needed to free my hands" Dani shrugged "Do most thieves steal and then continue to shop around the store?" she asked sarcastically

"I should have called the police" the man said to him "She has a shit mouth too"

"How much was the drink and chips? Three bucks?" Punk asked him

"She also dropped a glass" the man informed him

"Because you startled me!" Dani defended "He came up behind me and grabbed me so hard that I dropped the bottle I was holding" she told Punk

"Twenty bucks" the man told him and Punk rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket and handed the guy a twenty.

"Come on Dani" He said nodding for her to join him and she stood up with her bag and walked over to Punk. He handed her his car keys "Wait in the car"

"Ok" She said then walked out of the deli feeling embarrassed.

"If she comes in here again I'm going to have her arrested" the man warned him

"She can come and go anywhere she wants" Punk informed him "And if she decides to shop in this shit hole again you won't bother her and if you ever put a finger on her again I will personally cut off your fucking hand" he threatened then walked out of the deli.

* * *

When Punk got into the car Dani passed him back his keys and looked over to him.

"I wasn't stealing" Dani promised

"I know you weren't" Punk said to her

"I didn't know who else to call. He said to call a parent but duh obviously don't have one" she chuckled "And I was afraid to call AJ"

"Why were you afraid?" Punk asked looking over to her

"She'll think I'm a bad kid and not want to spend anymore time with me" Dani admitted

"That's not true" Punk promised her "AJ really likes you, so do I" he admitted "We don't think you're bad and nothing would change the fact that AJ and I both like having you around"

"You say that now" Dani mumbled

"You remind me so much of AJ" Punk chuckled as he pulled away from the deli "It took me so long to convince her I wasn't going anywhere. Same goes for you" he said to her "You'll learn this about me kid but I am very-"

"Controlling?" Dani asked finishing for him and he laughed lightly as he looked over to her

"I was going to say protective" Punk smirked "But ok"

"It's not a bad thing" Dani said to him "You'd make a pretty great dad one day"

"You think so?" Punk asked with a smile

"Yea" Dani said to him "You're better than my dad" she never really spoke about her parents this was the first time she ever brought them up.

"My dad wasn't that great either" Punk said to her

"I've met your dad at the foster home before he seems pretty great too" Dani said to him

"You've met Elliot" Punk said to her "And yea he's pretty awesome." He agreed "But Elliot isn't my birth father he took me in when I was older"

"So you're like me and AJ?" Dani asked

"Similar" Punk agreed "I was never in the foster system, Elliot and his family took me in right after my parents went away"

"You were lucky" Dani whispered looking out her window

"Yea I was" Punk agreed "I learned a lot from him"

"We're not going back to the home?" Dani asked noticing they passed the street that would have brought her back home

"No. AJ and I wanted to hang out with you today" Punk told her "Unless you want to go home?"

"It's not a home it's a bed to sleep in" Dani told him "And yea I would like to hang out tonight"

"Cool I just have to make a stop at my club" Punk said to her "I left some paperwork I need"

"I'm going to a club?" Dani asked happily "I'm so excited!"

"You're not going to hangout at the club" Punk said to her "You're ten years away from that"

"I'll be eighteen in seven years" She corrected him

"My clubs are 21 and over" Punk said to her "And we're not going to party"

"You are no fun" Dani huffed folding her arms.

"You really are a little AJ" He said glaring at her but she just smiled

Punk entered his office and saw Devon was still there.

"The meeting went well by the way" Devon said annoyed

"What meeting?" Punk asked him "Oh right yea I knew you'd make it work" he said walking towards his desk then stopped when he realized he was alone. "Inside here" Punk said reaching his arm out of the office and pulling Dani inside.

"This place is so cool! I was just listening to the band" Dani defended

"Is this her?" Devon asked amused pointing to Dani

"Oh yea" Punk said rummaging through his desk "Devon this is Dani"

"Hi there" Devon greeted standing up and shaking her hand

"Hi" Dani smiled

"I've heard a lot about you" Devon said to her

"I've heard a lot about you too" Dani said surprising him "But I don't think you look like a pompous ass-"

"Enough Dani" Punk smiled towards her giving her the look to 'shut up'.

"Right sorry" Dani defended

"Ok we're off" Punk said grabbing his paperwork

"Hey I thought I saw you-" Dean started but then saw Dani and Punk rolled his eyes

"Oh shit" Dean grinned "Hey kid"

"You must be Dean" Dani said to him

"I am" Dean said to her

"Before you go can I at least go over the cliff notes of the meeting with you?" Devon asked Punk

"I'm a little busy Devon" Punk said annoyed referring to Dani

"It's cool I'll watch her" Dean said to him

"That's alright" Punk said to him with a laugh

"What's wrong with me?" Dean asked offended

"Do you remember when I asked you to watch my rabbit?" Punk asked him and Dean rolled his eyes.

"What happened to the bunny?" Dani asked horrified

"Nothing I didn't do anything" Dean said to her

"Tell that to Henry" Punk shot at him

"Maybe I'll just hang out in here" Dani said taking a seat on the couch

"AJ has dinner waiting I've got to get home. I'll come back after" Punk said to him

"Can I come back?" Dani asked hopefully

"No" "Yes" Punk and Dean said at the same time

"She's not even legally allowed to be in here" Punk said to him

"I'm not a snitch" Dani said to him

"I like her" Dean smirked "I run SXS and if-"

"Don't finish that" Punk warned

"Before we open of course" Dean said to him

"Come on Dani" Punk said to her and she jumped out of her seat.

"Bye" Dani waved

"Nice meeting you" Devon smirked

* * *

AJ remembered Dani mentioning her favorite food was pizza so AJ decided to make a home made pizza.

"This looks great" Dani forced out. Both Punk and Dani didn't look thrilled with the food AJ placed in front of them. Neither had the heart to tell AJ that it smelt and looked horrific.

"Yea totally looks good" Punk smiled

"Thanks it was so easy to make too" AJ said to them "We should do this every Thursday night" she smiled happily "It could be like a tradition"

"Yum" Dani remarked with a phony smile

"Aren't you having pizza?" Punk asked AJ as she put salad on a plate

"No my stomach is killing me" She admitted "I need to eat light but you two go on and dig in. There's a whole pie" Dani looked towards Punk and they both looked like they were going to dread this.

"You two don't have a dog right?" Dani asked innocently

"It's good" Punk said taking a large bite out of it he then kicked Dani's chair and she rolled her eyes and took a bite out of her own slice.

"Yummy" Dani forced out

"Oh good" AJ smiled "So Dani we wanted you here tonight for a reason"

"Was it to poison me?" she asked fearfully swallowing a large bite of AJ's horrible pizza

"No" AJ laughed "Punk and I have been talking and we were wondering if you'd want to come stay with us?"

"You want to adopt me?" Dani asked skeptically

"No" AJ said quickly "Well not no but we won't you to be comfortable"

"We just want you to give us a try and see how you feel about it" Punk clarified since AJ was very nervous

"You'd get your own room" AJ said to her with a hopeful smile

"How long would I stay for?" Dani asked them

"For as long as you want to stay" Punk told her

"Are you two sure about this?" Dani asked them

"We are and we really want you here" AJ said to her "We don't want to force you into something you're not happy with. You can take some time to really think about it"

"Why do you guys want me?" Dani asked them

"We like you" AJ told her "We want to give you a home and a safe environment."

"More importantly we really want you here" Punk said to her

"Are you really sure?" she asked them

"Yea we are" AJ said to her "We wouldn't have offered"

"It's not just a pity thing?" Dani asked them "Because I don't want charity"

"We wouldn't be asking you if that was the case" Punk said to her "You belong here and you fit with us"

"What do you say? Will you think about it?" AJ asked her

"I say…where's this bedroom?" Dani asked happily


	50. Meeting The Family (Take 2)

**Meeting The Family (Take 2)**

* * *

"Why am I so nervous?" AJ asked Punk as she placed her phone in her bag. They were bringing Dani over to his parents house and they would all be meeting for the first time and AJ was unbelievably nervous.

"I have no idea" Punk admitted from the couch as he watched TV "Are you afraid Elliot and Jennifer won't like her? Because I can tell you right now that won't be the case"

"I feel like we're just springing this on them" AJ admitted

"Well we are" Punk smirked "But they should be used to that by now"

"Dani!" AJ yelled from the bottom of the steps. She had been living with them for a few days now

"I'll be right there!" She yelled back

"What if Dani doesn't like them?" AJ asked him

"I don't think that'll happen either" Punk said not worried in the slightest

"Do you think Dani likes it here?" AJ asked him

"Yea I do" Punk said to her "You need to stop stressing out" he warned her "Dani is happy, we're happy that's all that matters"

"What if she's not happy?" AJ asked him

"She seems pretty fucking happy to me" Punk smirked

"We talked about the cursing" AJ reminded him "We're trying to get her to stop doing it"

"She can't hear me" Punk defended

"Ok I'm ready" Dani said coming down the steps. She was wearing a cute little dress with a bow on it and both Punk and AJ were stunned. This was not Dani's kind of thing to wear she was a true tomboy.

"You look so pretty" AJ forced out

"You hate it don't you?" Dani asked "I even have a matching hat" she said putting it on her head

"Take the hat off at least" Punk said to her and AJ glared at him

"She can wear whatever she wants" AJ said to him

"I just know how rich and fancy your family is" Dani said to Punk "I figured they'd like me better in something nice"

"Your clothes are nice" AJ said to her "You don't have to be anyone you're not"

"Yea trust me they'll love you for who you are not what you wear" Punk said to her "We want you to be yourself"

"What if that's not good enough?" Dani asked them

"Its more than good enough" Punk said seriously "Go upstairs and wear what you want"

"I'll help you get changed" AJ offered and walked up the stairs with her.

Punk watched the two walk up the stairs together and realized having Dani live with them was probably the best thing that could have happened. She molded with them perfectly and was hoping that Dani would really want to stay with them.

* * *

Punk, AJ and Dani approached the door. Dani had opted on wearing the Blackhawks jersey Punk had gotten for her at the first game he took her to.

"Don't be nervous" Punk said

"I'm not" Dani said to him

"Not you" He smirked then looked at AJ

"I'm fine" she hissed at him then waited for him to open the door.

"Wow I thought your place was big" Dani said in awe of the huge mansion "This place is frigging huge!"

"Hey you're actually early" Mia remarked then saw Dani "Who is this?"

"This is Dani" Punk said placing a hand on Dani's shoulder "Dani this is my sister Mia"

"Hi" Dani said extending her hand

"Hi there" Mia smiled shaking her hand "I'm sorry I'm just a little confused" She said looking at Punk and AJ "Is she a relative of yours?" she asked AJ

"No" AJ said to her "She's-"

"Dani is living with us" Punk said cutting AJ off

"You adopted a child?" Mia asked still in shock and Dani wasn't sure how to respond to that since they didn't really discuss adoption

"Not yet" Punk said to her

"Well you are adorable" Mia smiled kneeling down in front of Dani "You can call me aunt Mia"

"Ok" Dani laughed

"Mom and Dad didn't mention this to me at all" Mia said to them

"They don't know yet" Punk admitted

"Know what?" Dean asked "Hey kid" he said giving Dani a high give "Awesome jersey"

"Thanks" Dani said with a proud smile

"You knew about this?" Mia asked her boyfriend

"I promised not to say a thing until they told you" Dean shrugged

"Hey" Devon said coming down the steps

"Hi Devon" Dani greeted with a wave

"You knew too?" Mia asked him "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because we wanted to make sure this was something Dani wanted" Punk said to his sister "This was about her and not you"

"Finally" Elliot said walking into the room "Hello there" He said looking at Dani

"Hi Mr. Klein" Dani said very formally

"I know you" Elliot said eyeing the small girl in front of him.

"Yea we've met at the foster home" Dani said to her "You paid for the new wreck room"

"That's right" Elliot grinned then looked over to Punk and AJ "You sure as hell know how to surprise us at family dinner" he said to the two

"We like to keep you on your toes" Punk shrugged

"If I remember correctly your name is Dani" Elliot said surprising her

"That's right" Dani grinned "I can't believe you remember"

"You don't forget such a pretty little girl" Elliot smiled "Maybe you should take Dani in to meet Jennifer?" he said to AJ

"Yea come on Dani" AJ said grabbing her hand

"You knew didn't you?" Punk asked her

"Yes" Elliot said to him "The advisor called to ask me how things were working out for you, AJ and Dani two nights ago"

"What do you think?" Punk asked him

"I think it's your life" Elliot said to him "It doesn't matter what I think"

"It matters to me actually" Punk said bluntly

"Alright" Elliot sighed "I think you and AJ are amazing people and are going to be even better parents. Also the fact that you decided to foster an older child shows me that I raised you right. What you're doing is unbelievably selfless and you're giving a pretty special little girl a home and family who really needs one. I'm very proud of you" he said honestly

AJ stepped into the kitchen and Dani was behind her.

"There you are" Jennifer said with a relieved smile "You look beautiful dear" she said giving her a hug then noticed the little girl behind her "Well hello there" Jennifer smiled "And you are"

"Dani Woodrow" she said quietly

"Why hi there Dani" Jennifer smiled

"Hi" Dani said quietly

"Dani is living with Punk and I" AJ said to her bluntly. She could tell Jennifer was surprised but also very pleased.

"Finally we're out numbering the boys" Jennifer smiled wildly "I want to know all about you" she said taking Dani by her hand and sitting with her at the table.

"There's not much to say" Dani shrugged

"Well you must be a pretty special little girl" Jennifer said to her

"AJ and Punk just took pity on me" Dani shrugged

"That's not true" AJ interrupted "Dani really took pity on us"

"I think they're just filling the void of poor Henry the rabbit" Dani joked and Jennifer let out a loud laugh

"I really like her" Jennifer said looking over to AJ "I have a feeling she's going to keep me nice and young "

"That's what Punk was hoping for too" She joked taking another shot at Punk's age and again Jennifer roared out a laugh

"It's like she really came from you two" Jennifer said still laughing

"She is something else" AJ agreed smiling down at Dani.

* * *

AJ walked into Punk's old bedroom where he was laying down.

"How did I know you would have snuck off up here" AJ teased closing the door behind her

"I'm too full" he said to her "I need a nap after I eat that much" he felt AJ crawl onto the bed and rolled over to his side so he was facing her "Where's Dani?"

"Elliot and Jennifer wanted to take her on a tour of the grounds" AJ said to him

"So we have a little time?" he asked moving his hand to her hip and giving it a squeeze

"Yea I'd say we've got a few minutes" she smiled and in an instant she was on her and he was removing her t-shirt. "Are we really going to have sex in your parents house?" she asked him with a giggle

"It's my room" Punk reminded her as he took off his own shirt now. "All of this stuff with Dani happened so fast we've been so preoccupied"

"What do you think?" she asked "Do you think she likes it with us?"

"I think she does" Punk said to her

"Do you think she wants to stay?" AJ asked him

"We could just ask her" Punk pointed out

"Do you want her to stay?" AJ asked nervously

"Yes" Punk said without hesitation. "I love her" he told her "She's our kid" he told her and AJ smiled

"I really want her to stay" AJ said to him

"We have so much time to talk about this" Punk pointed out "But not a lot of time for this anymore" he said pressing into her. "I knew having a kid would throw a wrench into our private time but I thought the older they got the easier it would get"

"Nothing is easy anymore" AJ smiled. Punk leaned down and began to kiss her wildly all the while thrusting into her threw their jeans. Punk was surprised when AJ rolled him onto his back and went at him just as hard.

"You're anxious" Punk noted happily as AJ stood up and pulled her jeans down her legs then moved over to Punk pants.

"I am" she agreed with a grin tugging his jeans down. She crawled up his body and took him into her hands and then lowered her mouth onto him causing him to hiss slightly.

Punk was in heaven being inside of AJ's mouth. He tried hard to not jerk into her mouth but he didn't want to finish that way, he had to be inside of her. But he let her continue for a few more minutes mostly because he was being spoiled and liked it. As soon as AJ took him in so deep he hit that his tip hit the back of this throat he knew he had to stop her.

"AJ it's good" Punk said moving his hands over her hair but she didn't want to stop. She wanted it just as much as he did. It took all of Punk's strength to physically pull her mouth from him and when she made eye contact with him his heart melted a little, swollen lips, wild hair and wide eyes. "You don't even realize how beautiful you are" he said sweetly.

"Enough chitchat" AJ smiled "We don't run on our own schedules anymore" she reminded him. Punk surprised her by jumping off of the bed. "Where are you going?" she asked as he stepped behind her and brought her to hands and knees onto the bed.

"Hold on and try to remember the walls aren't soundproof" he warned and before she could respond he entered her from behind.

"Holy-" AJ cried as her tiny fists tightened around the bed sheets as he rammed into her. "Don't stop" she moaned

"I wish I never had to" he grunted out as his hands stayed firm at her hips and helped guide her to she backed into him harder.

"Oh Phil" She cried out

"Louder" Punk encouraged and slapped at her right ass cheek causing her to smile wild

"Bad idea" She reminded him as he continued to move into her

"They won't hear you downstairs" Punk assured her

"You'd be surprised how loud you could make me scream" AJ said trying to control her body so she wouldn't cum, she wanted this to last a little longer.

"You're thinking too much" Punk pointed out "Fucking cum AJ" he demanded

"I don't want to" she said shaking her head and he hit her ass again

"Come on baby" he encouraged "Don't make me go before you" he practically begged

* * *

Dean was walking by and heard noise coming from inside the bedroom and put his ear to the door.

"What are you doing?" Mia asked him

"Someone is in there" Dean said to her

"That's Punk's old room" Mia said walking over and went to open the door but it was locked. She then pressed her ear to the door. "Oh my god!" she yelled jumping away

"He's doing it?" Dean asked with a grin leaning against the door "Oh shit" he laughed "He's fucking rough who knew little AJ-"

"Stop" Mia said pulling him away

"Hey have you guys seen AJ?" Dani asked walking down the hall "Jennifer wanted-"

"Oh yea I think she's downstairs reading the bible or something" Mia smiled grabbing Dani's hand and pulling her away from the door and all the way down the stairs.

Punk's door swung open and he appeared putting on his t-shirt and saw Dean.

"Who was out here?" Punk asked him

"Just Dani" Dean said to him casually and he loved how Punk's face turned to one of horror "Don't worry horn dog Mia dragged her away before she could hear you banging AJ"

"So you decided to stay and listen?" Punk asked oddly

"Hey if you didn't want people to know you shouldn't have been so fucking loud" Dean said annoyed "It was impossible to not listen"

"Get out of here" Punk warned and Dean just laughed and walked off.

* * *

Dani was walking home from the bus stop after school a week later. She was moved to a school much closer to where she was living now and it was much different then her last school. Punk even tried to talk her into a private school but she didn't want that, she liked public school. She also loved her time with Punk and AJ and was trying not to get her hopes that it was going to be a permanent move because she was used to disappointment but they were different then anyone. Punk's family also treated her like one of their own, she had spent the day shopping with Mia over the weekend and Jennifer took her a play the other night. She was living the dream and it wasn't just the fact that Punk and AJ were filthy rich but they treated her like she was important and they seemed to love her as much as she loved them.

"Hey" an older man said with a smile as she walked past him. Dani just kept her head down and kept walking. "Hey wait up" he said jogging up to her

"If you come near me I will scream so loud that every single person will run out here and kill you" Dani warned "I also I bite" she added and the man chuckled

"I'm not a kidnapper" The man said laughing "You're living with Punk and AJ aren't you?" he asked her

"Yea" Dani said unsurely

"I'm a friend of theirs" The man assured her in a friendly voice

"What's your name?" Dani asked him

"Daniel" He smiled

"I've never heard them mention your name" Dani said to him

"Must be an oversight" Daniel said opening up his own book bag and pulled out a medium sized brown box. "Could you give this to AJ for me?" he asked passing it to her

"What is it?" Dani asked eyeing the box

"It's an early Christmas present" Daniel smiled

"Christmas is like three weeks away" Dani reminded him

"Thus why it's called an early Christmas gift" Daniel said placing the box in her hands

"Why don't you just give it to her yourself?" Dani asked him

"Because I've to run. I live out of town and I was going to stop it off personally but I saw you first" Daniel said to her

"Ok" Dani said taking the box, the man was ugly but appeared to be harmless

"Do you want me to give you a ride home?" he offered her

"No I don't get into cars with people I don't know" Dani said taking a cautious step back

"You're not only smart but pretty" Daniel grinned "Tell Punk I said hello and remember give that to AJ" he said to her then walked over to his car and got in.

* * *

AJ was looking out the window to see if Dani was coming down the street. She wanted to pick her up and drop her off but she wanted independence and AJ understood that better than anyone but it didn't mean it didn't make her crazy. When she saw Dani turning the corner she ran over to the couch and turned on the TV and that's when the door swung open.

"Hey" AJ smiled at her

"Hi AJ" Dani said dropping her book bag to the floor by the door

"How was school?" AJ asked

"It was fine" Dani said then handed AJ box

"What's this?" AJ asked taking it from her

"I bumped into one of your friends on my way home he asked me to give it to you. He said it was a Christmas present but it feels like a cheap gift" she said walking into the kitchen.

"What friend?" AJ asked as she began to remove the tape from the box

"I think he said his name was Daniel" she shrugged "He looked like a hobo"

"Did you say Daniel?" AJ asked shooting Dani a look

"Yea" Dani nodded

"What did he look like?" AJ asked her

"Long beard and hair" Dani said to her "Short" she shrugged "Is he not your friend?"

"He used to be" AJ said to her then opened the box and let out a scream by what was inside.

* * *

Punk was at Klein industries for a meeting with Elliot and Devon.

"I don't know why we have to bring John Cena in on this" Punk said annoyed "I hate that fucking guy" he grumbled

"You won't have to deal with him at all" Elliot said to him "Just be nice to him at the fundraiser. You know how important this charity is for Jennifer" he reminded them. It was close to Christmas, which meant they had a huge fundraiser to restock local food banks and have gifts for the foster children at the center.

"He's rich can't you just suck it up for one night?" Devon asked annoyed

"Are you still screwing his wife?" Punk asked Devon who just grinned

"Enough" Elliot warned the two. "So Jennifer and I wondering if Dani was going to be joining for Christmas this year?"

"Of course" Punk said to him "Why wouldn't she?"

"He wants to know when you're going to legally adopt her" Devon informed him

"Thanks Devon" Elliot glared

"Why the rush?" Punk asked "We want to make sure Dani is adjusted"

"Yes and that's noble but this is for your protection as well" Elliot said to him "I happen to think you and AJ would both be inconsolable if Dani left you guys" just the thought of it made Punk's chest tighten.

"Obviously" Punk said to him "We love her" He shrugged "Which is why we want what's best for her"

"It's best to make it legal" Elliot suggested

"I agree" Devon added "You don't want her birth father popping up out of know where and taking her away"

"Dani is in the foster system because she was removed from her fathers care they're not just going to hand her over" Punk argued

"What about a grandparent or an aunt?" Devon asked "Think of that?"

"No not really" Punk admitted

"I think you should sit down with AJ and Dani and talk to them" Elliot suggested "We've taken to Dani just as much as you and AJ have we want her to stick around"

"And she will" Punk said firmly

"Hey sorry to interrupt" Maria said poking her head in the door "AJ is on line one she tried calling your phone Punk but couldn't get you, she's crying and really upset"

Punk reached over and answered the phone quickly.

"AJ-" he started but she was hysterical on the other end of the phone "Wait what?" Punk asked hoping he misheard this entire story "He was with Dani?" he asked her "Just take a breath, I'm on my way home" he then hung up

"Everything alright?" Elliot asked concerned

"I couldn't make a lot of it but apparently Daniel ran into Dani on her way home today" Punk told them.

"I'll call Steve" Elliot said to him

"I'll go to the house with you" Devon offered standing up

* * *

Punk walked inside and saw AJ sitting on the couch with Dani next to her rubbing her back slightly

"It's ok AJ" Dani frowned

"I know honey" AJ smiled at her

"Hey" Punk said getting their attention as Devon followed behind them

"Daniel approached Dani on her way home from school" AJ choked out "And gave her a package to give me" she said to him

"Where is it?" Punk asked looking around and not seeing it

"It's in the kitchen" She said to him.

Punk walked into the kitchen and opened the box and his eyes nearly popped out of his head upon seeing AJ's pet rabbit Henry dead in the box.

"Holy fuck that's sick" Devon muttered. Punk stormed right back into the living room.

"Are you sure he didn't hurt you?" AJ asked Dani for the billionth time. AJ was upset about Henry but she was more upset Daniel had gotten so close to Dani.

"You can tell us Dani" Punk said seriously taking a seat on the coffee table across from them "You need to tell us"

"He was weird but he didn't touch me or anything" Dani told them "I didn't get in the car with him or anything"

"Did he want you to?" Punk asked her and she nodded. AJ felt a shiver run down her spine while Punk bit his lower lip.

"I wouldn't have bought the box home if I knew what was in it please don't be mad at me" Dani begged

"We're not mad at you" AJ said with a smile and wrapped her arm around her

"We're just worried about you" Punk told her

"I'm ok it's not a big deal. He knew better than to mess with me" She said proudly causing AJ to laugh lightly.

"Did he say anything else to you?" Punk asked her

"He just said he was an old friend and that I was smart and pretty" she told Punk who was wanted nothing more than to run outside and search for Daniel and beat him to death. "He also said to tell you hi"

"Ok" Punk said to her "Why don't you show Devon the Blackhawks plaque you just got in your room" he suggested pointing to Devon who was standing behind the couch

"Cool!" Dani said jumping off the couch "You'll love it! Punk had Duncan Keith sign it for me!"

"Of course he did" Devon said childishly but before Dani walked with Devon she gave AJ a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't cry it's ok" she said then gave AJ a hug and AJ's heart melted. It was a real genuine moment and AJ was thrilled and held her tightly. "I really do love you guys" she said as she pulled away and looked towards Punk then headed up the stairs with Devon.

It was like the fear of Daniel was washed away with Dani's sweet words that both were waiting to hear.

"She loves us" AJ cried placing her hand over her mouth

"Yea" Punk smirked. He couldn't even describe how he felt in the moment.

"How does Daniel even know about her?" AJ asked him

"I don't know but I do know he's in Chicago and I will find him. There is nowhere for him to hide here" Punk promised her

"He got into our house and took Henry. What if he comes in and tries to take Dani? What if he does to her what he did to me?" she asked fearfully

"Never going to happen" Punk never believed in what he was saying more. "Daniel is never going to touch Dani" he promised her.

Punk meant every word and if he had to literally kill Daniel to ensure his small but growing family was safe he would do it without hesitation. He just had to find Daniel first….


	51. Breaking The News

**Breaking The News**

* * *

One week after meeting Daniel, Dani was on lockdown. Normally she would rebel and avoid all the new 'rules' Punk and AJ had enforced on her but clearly they were just looking out for her. As she walked out of school she saw Elliot waiting by his car for her and she smiled and ran to give him a hug. When Punk or AJ couldn't personally take or pick Dani up from school someone else was always there. Two days ago it was Dean, Devon was there Monday and now Elliot. She also didn't mind the new rules because she truly liked spending time with the family.

"Hey Elliot" Dani smiled

"Hey sweetheart" Elliot grinned opening the door for her

"Where's AJ and Punk today?" Dani asked him

"They had to meet with someone" Elliot told her "So it's just us today I was thinking we could go for ice cream?"

"I'm down for that" Dani smiled happily

"So Christmas is coming up and you haven't told Jennifer what you want yet" Elliot noted pulling away from the school.

"I don't need anything" Dani shrugged

"Every kid wants something on Christmas" Elliot smirked at her "Isn't there like a doll or something?"

"A doll?" Dani laughed "Do I look like the type of girl who likes playing with dolls?"

"That is true" Elliot laughed

"I really wanted to get something for Punk and AJ though" Dani said to him "But obviously I don't have money for that and to ask them for money which I know they would give me would be silly if it just went back to them"

"I'm in" Elliot said to her "Only if you tell me what you want as well"

"Every year when we went to see Santa I used to ask him for a family" Dani admitted "Even long after I realized Santa was fake I still used to play along for the other kids sake and I still asked for the same thing. And I got what I wished for, at least I think I did"

"Why would you just think it?" Elliot asked her

"I've been with them for a little while now and I know there's a lot going on but they haven't mentioned making it official. I'm afraid they're sick of me already" Dani confided

"That's not the case" Elliot assured her "They're crazy about you"

"I hope so" Dani sighed "Because I don't think I could go back after having a taste of what a real family is like"

"You wont be going back" Elliot promised her "Trust me"

* * *

"Elliot is taking her for ice cream" Punk said reading his text to AJ.

"No Daniel?" AJ asked

"No Daniel" He confirmed as they sat in a swanky office together.

"Could you imagine if she would have gotten into his car?" AJ asked him

"I'd like to not even think about it actually" Punk said shifting uncomfortably in his seat

"She was so smart to not buy into it" AJ said to him "Have you heard from Steve yet?"

"Nothing" Punk said to her "He hasn't seen or heard anything Daniel related."

"I'm so scared for Dani" AJ admitted "It's taking away from everything we're doing"

"Don't let it because nothing is going to happen to her" Punk promised her "She's safe. She's with Elliot and even with that Roman is tailing them"

"My stomach has been knots since it happened" AJ said to him

"Yea I've noticed" Punk said to her "You need to relax because we don't want to scare her. We want her to know we can provide a safe home for her"

"I know, I know" AJ sighed "I'm just scared. It's been great having Dani with us but then you realize you're in charge of keeping her safe and protecting her from the world but sometimes you cant"

"We can and we will" he promised her.

"Sorry to keep you waiting" the man said entering the office and sitting at his large desk "I've got all of the paper work here for you" he said passing the contract over to Punk who looked it over

"And this is fully binding and legal?" AJ asked him

"Of course Mrs. Brooks" The man smiled "Have you spoken to Dani about legally adopting her?"

"Not yet" AJ said nervously "We kind of wanted to surprise her"

"She's a very lucky little girl" The lawyer smiled

"What if her birth father shows up?" Punk asked

"He lost parental rights and hasn't even attempted to contact family court to plead his case. Once she's legally adopted she's yours and there's nothing he can do" he said to him "He hasn't even visited her at the foster home"

"And so what happens after we all sign off on this?" AJ asked him

"You'll appear in court and the judge will make it official" the lawyer told them

"Is there any reason to believe he'll rule against us?" AJ asked

"No" The lawyer scoffed shaking his head "Mr. Brooks is a very well respected Chicago resident, the Klein name doesn't hurt and the foster care director has giving you both a glowing recommendation. All you two have to do is sign"

"We want to talk to her first" Punk said to him "We don't want her to be blindsided"

"If she said 'no' would you really be willing to give her up?" The lawyer questioned

"No" Punk admitted

"Of course not but again we just want to sit down with her" AJ told him "We're going to do it tonight as a matter of fact"

"Call me when you sign off and I'll rush it to the judge" he told them "And congratulations" he smiled

* * *

When Punk and AJ got home Elliot was sitting on the couch while Dani was sitting on the floor working on her homework with Elliot's help.

"You're back sooner then I expected" Elliot said to them

"Yea it didn't take as long as we thought" Punk said removing his jacket

"How was school Dani?" AJ asked her

"Lame. Joey didn't talk to me at all today because he's friends with Kelly now" Dani said annoyed

"Well thanks for the 6th grade daily gossip" Punk mocked "But did you learn anything new?"

"I learned Kelly is a bitch" Dani said bluntly and Elliot let out a loud laugh while AJ looks mortified and Punk was amused

"Well at least you're learning something in public school" Punk muttered

"Language Dani" AJ reminded her

"Oh yea, sorry" she said with a sheepish smile

"I'm going to head out" Elliot said standing up and gave Dani a kiss on the head then gave one to AJ on the cheek "I'll see you three at the fundraiser this weekend" he said to them

"Thanks" He said to Elliot and walked him to the door.

"Hey Dani" AJ said sitting on the couch "Can you come sit up here for a second, Phil and I want to talk to you"

"I didn't do it" Dani responded nervously taking a seat on the couch

"Why do I feel like you probably did?" Punk smirked sitting in his chair

"You didn't do anything" AJ assured her "But we do have to discuss something important"

"You're sending me back aren't you?" Dani asked them "I knew this would happen, it's ok I totally get it-" she started to get up but AJ pulled her back onto the couch

"That's not it either" AJ said to her

"It's the opposite of that actually" Punk said to her

"We want to legally adopt you" AJ informed her and her eyes lit up

"For real?" Dani asked them

"For very real or whatever it is you kids say today" Punk said to her

"You're not messing with me?" Dani asked them

"No and we have all of the paperwork but before we signed anything we wanted to make sure you wanted to be here as much as we want you here" AJ said to her

"If I said no that I wanted to go back what would you do?" Dani asked them and clearly she was testing them. Punk had learned she liked to do that a lot.

"We'd talk you into saying" Punk smiled "We'd fight for you"

"That's all I wanted to hear" Dani said happily "Yes I want to stay" she jumped into AJ's arm and gave her a hug then ran over to Punk and did the same. "I have to call Karen!" -who was the foster care advisor "She's going to flip!"

"That was easy" AJ said happily to him and he nodded in agreement "Can we sign the papers now?"

"Yea and I'll bring them back to the office tonight" Punk told her

"Oh one thing" Dani said walking back in the room "What do I call you?"

"What do you mean?" Punk asked

"I mean I'm officially here now" Dani said nervously

"You can call us whatever you'd like" AJ smiled at her

"Can I try the mom and dad thing?" she asked them and AJ could feel her heart swell with joy

"Of course" AJ beamed then Dani ran out "This is the best I've felt in such a long time" she said to her husband

"It's pretty awesome I must admit" Punk smirked

"You were right about this adopting thing" AJ said to him "I'm so glad I listened to you"

"I'm grateful for Dani and she's our daughter now but are you really ok with not having a baby of your own?" he asked her

"Yea" AJ said to him "I feel like this void has been filled with her it doesn't matter that I didn't carry her or raise her for the first eleven years of her life she is ours in everywhere that counts"

"I couldn't agree more" Punk smirked

Dani was listening at the top of the steps and smiled at the fact that they truly considered her to be their daughter. Nothing was going to spoil this for her.

* * *

As Punk drove to work he passed by Tonic and decided to drop in on Seth. There had been something nagging at him and even though he was enjoying the peace he had with Seth he did have to confront him, he just had to ask Seth what was burning in his brain.

"I was wondering when I was going to see you again" Seth said as Punk strolled into the empty and not yet open Tonic "What did I do now? Are you going to blame me for AJ's meltdown a while back? Or global warming?"

"No not tonight anyway but I'm sure that massive amount of hair gel you use isn't helping the environment" He retorted

"I've been playing nice but don't push me" Seth warned him

"I'll make it quick then. I want to know if you're helping Daniel" Punk said bluntly

"Daniel who?" Seth asked him

"Bryan" Punk clarified and Seth looked confused then it hit him

"You think I would help out a psychopath who murdered one woman and almost another?" Seth asked "That would kill my reputation and business"

"That would be the only reason you wouldn't" Punk said to him

"I didn't even know Daniel was around. Last I read in the papers he was fleeing the country" Seth said to him

"He's in Chicago" Punk said to him "Or he was a week ago"

"Haven't seen or heard from him" Seth told him honestly "And if I did see him I would call the police and not you"

"You call me" Punk informed him

"You're the police now Punk?" Seth mocked

"I just need to get some answers from him before he's hauled over to prison" Punk shrugged

"Maybe I will call you" Seth said smiling at the thought "I'd like to see you get locked away for murder. I'll give AJ a call then" he teased

"I'm trying to be decent with you but another crack like that about my wife is going to make me punch you in the face" Punk threatened

"Relax Romeo" Seth laughed "But back to Daniel how do you even know he's in town?"

"He approached my daughter" Punk said to him

"Daughter?" Seth asked warily "Since when do you have a kid"

"It's not really your business. But he was lurking outside of her school and spoke to her" Punk told him

"So not only do you have a kid but she's old enough to walk, talk and go to school?" Seth asked then laughed "Oh I knew your whore ways would catch up to you eventually, a one-night stand that won't go away? Is that why AJ was so upset?"

"Again not that it's your business but we adopted" Punk said to him

"Good for AJ she'll make a good mother" Seth said nodding

"What is your infatuation with my wife?" Punk asked him

"It's nothing physical it's all business" Seth said to him "I'd love to have her here working with me."

"That's never going to happen" Punk said to him

"We'll see about that" Seth smiled "Have a good night dad" he teased

* * *

AJ was already at The Cellar long before Punk after dropping Dani off at Elliot and Jennifer's for the night. They were so great with watching her when she had to be at work and with the adoptions papers officially in Dani was there's and AJ was thrilled but she wasn't expecting this. This was the last thing she had ever expected and she didn't see it coming at all. She looked at the three positive pregnancy tests on her desk and still had trouble processing it. Punk was actually right they did beat the odds but they already had Dani and they were still learning how to be good parents and focusing all of their time and energy into making this transition smooth for her.

How would Dani react to the news? Would she think they were trying to replace her? How would Punk react? It was hard enough to get him to commit to one child but two? She hadn't been feeling for the last few weeks but chalked it up to stress but when she realized her period was long past she took a pregnancy test and when it came out positive she took two more and all the tests had the same result. She was biting her nails and staring at the tests as if the result was going to change.

"Hey" Punk said walking into the office "I thought you were staying with Dani tonight?" he asked her

"She wanted to spend the night with your parents" AJ said to him and watched as he walked over to her and greeted her with a kiss. His eyes opened during the kiss and looked in the direction her eyes were.

"What's this AJ?" Punk asked her

"I guess we fall in that 5% bracket" AJ shrugged with a nervous smile

"You're pregnant?" Punk asked looking at the tests that all read 'pregnant' on the small window.

"Yea" AJ confirmed "At least that's what these tests read"

"Wow" he said stunned and almost felt faint "This is for real?" he asked her and she glared at him "Ok it's real" then he smiled "Why aren't you jumping for joy right now? Why do you look like you got the worst news ever?"

"Because we just adopted Dani" AJ reminded him "Two children?" she asked him "And Dani is still so fragile-"

"You're pregnant" Punk informed her "That's all that matters"

"There's so many factors Phil" She said standing up and beginning to pace "Daniel is still out there, we're still getting used to Dani-"

"It's going to be fine" Punk said grabbing her shoulders

"You're ok with this?" AJ asked

"Of course and even if I wasn't what choice do I have?" Punk asked "We went from never having children to having two" he said to her "It's an insane turn of events"

"We can do this" She said trying to convince herself

"We can totally do this" he confirmed and kissed her forehead. AJ wrapped her arms around him and he held her tightly. "Why are you crying AJ?" he asked feeling her tears moisten his shirt.

"Because we did it" AJ said happily "We made this happen"

"A few months ago we thought we'd never have this" Punk reminded her "You were convinced we'd end up dying without having children and now look at us. And having two is easy because Dani isn't a baby" he reminded her

"She's going to be a teenager soon" AJ reminded him pulling away "It's going to be difficult and we can't shift attention off of her because we're having a baby"

"I agree" Punk said to her

"We need to sit down and explain this all to all and make sure she knows this doesn't change a thing" AJ told him

"Why would she think that?" Punk scoffed "She knows we love her"

"She told me when I first met her that her foster parents would keep her until they had a baby of their own" She told him

"We're not her foster parents" Punk said seriously "We are her parents. We're not just going to send her away"

"I know that but she needs to know that" AJ said to him

"Ok but before we do anything let's get you to the doctor so he could confirm what I already know- I knocked you up on an airplane and then we'll talk to Dani" Punk said to her

"You did do this" AJ said to him

"I had a feeling it would work" Punk said innocently

* * *

Two nights later AJ wandered down the stairs and found Punk sitting on the couch looking at a magazine but when she got closer he saw she was looking at her sonogram photo. The doctor had confirmed she was about seven weeks along which did confirm that Punk had in-fact gotten her pregnant a thousand feet in the air.

"You've been looking at that all night" AJ smiled wrapping her arms around him from behind the couch and resting her chin on his shoulder

"I'm trying to decide who it looks like" He said looking at it

"You can't tell from that" she laughed

"Sure I can I'm the father I can tell" Punk said smugly "I think it's me"

"I think it looks like a peanut" AJ said to him

"Don't call my son a peanut" he scolded "Or daughter" he added quickly

"When are we going to tell Dani?" AJ asked him breaking the silence on that topic, neither had realized Dani was at the top of steps listening to them.

"Whenever you want" Punk said closing the magazine

"She's not going to like it" AJ warned

"She's a tough kid" Punk defended "We're having a baby regardless" he said to her and Dani didn't need to hear anymore she ran off into her room after that. "And she's going to be a great big sister" he added "You were right about the attention thing" He said to her "We just need to tell her to understand we're going to love her the same way we'll love the new baby. She'll get it"

"I hope you're right" AJ said standing straight now. "It's just been going so well with her I hate to ruin it"

"We're a family and we're going to have bumps in the road" he reminded her "Dani is going to be just as excited as we are" he told her

"Your mom is going to faint when she finds out" AJ teased

"Oh my god she's going to be excited. Giving her two grandchildren in a year is like a dream come true" he laughed

"I just don't want to say anything yet because it's still early and we should wait" AJ said to him "Just me, you and Dani need to know"

"I agree" Punk said to her "And you mentioned the Daniel thing- I'm taking care of it" he assured her

"How Phil?" She asked

"That's for me to worry about" he said to her

"Not if you're planning on killing a man" AJ warned him "We have way too much at stake now Phil. We have a daughter who adores you and another child on the way"

"That's all I'm thinking about" Punk said to her "I'm thinking of how Daniel approached my daughter and called her pretty and tried to talk her into his fucking car, I'm thinking about what he did to you- I need to make this right"

"You can do that by calling the police if you find him. I know you've been sending Roman all over the country looking for him and following leads" AJ said to him "It was one thing when we were just the two of us and you were running around with a gun but there's going to be four of us now" she reminded him "You can not lose your cool"

"He's baiting me AJ" Punk said to her "He wants this reaction. He never would have approached Dani if that wasn't the case"

"So why are you going to give him exactly what he wants?" AJ asked him

"I just want to know what his fucking endgame is? What was he thinking when he took you? Why did he kill the rabbit- what is his fucking plan?" Punk shouted annoyed

"I'd rather never find out" AJ said to him and that's when the doorbell rang. AJ walked over and opened the door for Mia.

"Hi sorry if it's too late to stop by" Mia smiled walking in with a bag

"It's nine at night how old do you think we are?" Punk asked her

"I got Dani the perfect dress for the fundraiser on Saturday" Mia cheered

"Oh let me see" AJ smiled as Mia pulled out the small black dress. It was an almost exact replica to one of AJ's dresses. "It's beautiful" AJ smiled

"Why is it short like that?" Punk asked scrunching his nose as he stood behind AJ

"When Dani and I were at the mall she picked this out and said it looked just like one you had in the closet" Mia said ignoring Punk "I went back to the store and had them order it in her size"

"I think she's going to love it" AJ smiled

"AJ's an adult" Punk pointed out to the two who finally acknowledged he was standing there

"Well that's very observant" Mia said mockingly

"I mean her wearing this dress makes sense but Dani is a little girl" Punk pointed out

"There's nothing wrong with the dress Phil" AJ told him calmly

"She should wear a long gown" Punk said to her

"She hates gowns" AJ reminded him

"I don't want her wearing a fucking cocktail dress ok!" Punk yelled and AJ rolled her eyes at the outburst "She's eleven!"

"Exactly and she's going to a family fundraiser not a pervert parade" Mia remarked

"If we say it's ok to this dress now when she's older she's going to think it's ok to wear things like this" Punk pointed out

"What's wrong with dresses like this?" AJ shot at him "This is a smaller version of a dress I wore to the first fundraiser I had gone to with you. Are you saying I looked inappropriate"

"No because you're not my daughter" Punk said seriously

"Could you imagine how he's going to be when she's seventeen going to prom?" Mia asked AJ

"She has a 6th grade winter formal in February" AJ gushed

"What?" Punk asked her

"Maybe she can wear this?" Mia asked happily "No she can't repeat we'll have to take her for a new dress entirely"

"Are you two even listening to me?" Punk demanded

"I'm going to go up and show Dani her dress" Mia smiled skipping up the stairs.

"AJ" Punk said looking at her

"She's going to a party with your family" AJ reminded him

"And a bunch of other people we barely know, I don't fucking like it" Punk informed her

"The dress is long enough I wouldn't dress my daughter in anything I didn't think was appropriate just relax crazy" AJ huffed

"She's not up there" Mia said causing both to look at her

"She was just in her room" AJ said walking up the stairs and passing Mia

AJ searched the rather large room but Dani wasn't there.

"Phil she's not here" AJ said to him

"Impossible" Punk said to her "She was just fucking here"

"What if Daniel-" AJ started

"AJ we were in front of the front door" Punk reminded her "No one came in or left she has to be here"

"Her book bag is gone" AJ frowned "And her jacket"

"What's this?" Punk asked walking over to her desk and picking up a piece of paper. "Thank you for everything, I understand and won't be a problem for you both" he read out loud and it was in her hand writing

"She heard us" AJ said whispered to him

"Heard what?" Mia asked

"I knew this was going to happen" AJ said to him "She probably went out thru the garage"

"I'll find her" Punk said walking out of the room "She couldn't have gotten far"

"I'll go look around too" AJ said to him following him down the stairs

"No it's fine" Punk said to her grabbing his jacket "She's a kid running away from home I've done it a hundred times"

"Daniel could be out there" AJ said fearfully "What if he-"

"Sit and relax I'll be back in ten minutes max" Punk promised her "Can you stay with her?" he asked his sister

"Of course" Mia said to him "But do you want me to call anyone?"

"No like I said she's just being a kid" Punk said to her

* * *

Punk wasn't wrong. He headed in the direction he was sure Dani would travel in and a few minutes later he was a few feet behind her as she headed down the dark Chicago street. He didn't want to embarrass her or cause a scene so he just followed her until she got tired which she did as she passed the park. She took a seat on the bench and lifted her bag up next to her.

"I'm going to have to live off of this for a while" she said pulling out a Ziploc bag of pretzels.

"Need a ride?" a voice asked and Dani jumped slightly, she didn't even realize someone was sitting next to her bag. She was relieved to see it was only Punk.

"Yea actually I do" she said to him "Back to the foster house"

"Why do you want to go there?" He asked her

"Because you don't need me anymore" Dani said to him "You and mom- I mean AJ are having your own baby I heard you talking"

"Did you hear the entire conversation or just bits and pieces?" Punk asked her

"What does it even matter?" Dani asked "You get to have your own kid you don't need me and it's ok I get it. I'm used to this"

"You are our kid" Punk said simply "You're as much ours as the new baby"

"That's not true" Dani said shaking her head "You barely know me"

"I know you well enough" Punk said to her "I also know that we love you very much and want you to be as excited as we are. We're not like your other foster homes- we're not your foster home at all actually. You're our daughter and our home is your home"

"I'm going to crowd you" Dani said to him "You can't handle two kids"

"Why do you say that? I happen to think I'm doing ok don't you?" Punk asked

"You've been a great dad" Dani admitted with a soft smile

"And I'll continue to be" he said almost smugly "I'm also not worried because you're not a kid. You're a very smart young woman" he said to her and she smiled at the remark "You're going to help us or at least I thought you were going to" Punk said to him "I mean this baby would be lucky to have you as a big sister"

"I wouldn't really be their sister" Dani said sadly

"Yes you will be, in ever sense of the word" Punk assured her "You're not going back to the foster home and I'm not just saying that because I'm your dad by law now as well either and you don't have a choice. You can't just pick and leave anymore. This is permanent whether you're having second thoughts now or not" he warned her "And I really hope you're not because your mom and I really would hate it if you were unhappy with us because we do love you so much. She's freaking out at home right now"

"I didn't mean to worry her I thought I was helping her" Dani shrugged

"You scared us both" Punk said to her "We did have the talk about being out by yourself didn't we?" he asked her and she nodded "How important it is that you don't wander off especially at night and in a park"

"You're worried about that Daniel guy aren't you?" Dani asked him "I hear you and mom talking about him a lot"

"You're a little eavesdropper huh?" Punk asked with a smirk "I'll have to remember that"

"Why would he even bother me? He doesn't know me" She said to him

"No he doesn't but he knows you're very important to me" Punk told her honestly "It's been a crazy few weeks and things have moved very fast but just hang in there kid because I promise you that you're wanted and you're going to be such an important of not just our lives but the new baby's life as well"

"Alright" Dani said jumping off the bench "How mad do you think she is?" she asked passing her knapsack over to Punk who put it over his shoulder and grabbed her hand and began to walk her back home

"At first she'll be really happy that you're ok" Punk said to her

"How long will I have before that turns to anger?" she asked looking up at him

"I'd say fifteen minutes max" Punk reasoned "She'll probably take your comics away" he warned

"Oh no" Dani cried out "Anything but that!"

"You know I'll sneak them back to you" he said to her and she smiled

"You really are a good dad" Dani said squeezing his hand


	52. Out Numbered

**Out Numbered**

* * *

"What do you think?" Dani asked walking into AJ's bedroom in her black dress for the fundraiser.

"You look so beautiful" AJ smiled happily "You don't mind that I'm matching you right? You don't think its lame?" AJ opted to wear the same dress to match Dani.

"No, none of my friends will be there" Dani said seriously

"If your friends were there it would be lame?" AJ asked her

"You don't want to match with your mom" Dani said rolling her eyes "But tonight is ok. But I've never been to a fancy event before. I don't know what to do"

"I was the same way" AJ said to her "Don't worry just follow you dad's lead"

"Oh speaking of" Dani said slipping on a black shawl "He told me I had to wear this with this dress since it was strapless" she pouted

"He's just protective" AJ smiled fixing it for her "It's annoyingly sweet" she teased

"Yea I've never had two people care about me about like you two do" Dani admitted "So if wearing this over my dress makes him happy I wont complain"

"That's very sweet of you" AJ said to her "Oh and remember no one knows about the baby and we don't want to tell anyone for a few more weeks"

"Is that because you like to spring surprises on everybody?" Dani asked seriously

"Where did you hear that?" AJ asked with a laugh

"Devon" Dani shrugged

"Well it's actually bad luck if you tell anyone before a certain time" AJ said moving around the room as Dani sat on her bed and watched her.

"Well you told me" Dani pointed out

"Because you're very important" AJ said to her "It's not bad luck to tell you."

"I can keep a secret" Dani assured her

"I know" AJ smiled

"So are you really excited?" Dani asked her

"Yes I am" AJ admitted "I'm excited for the baby and you. It's been an amazing year"

"I know what happened to dad's family but what about yours?" Dani asked curiously

"My mom passed away when I was little and my dad…well he's not around" AJ said to her

"Do you wish he was?" Dani asked her

"When I was your age I did" AJ admitted "But once I got older and got to know him I realized everything I dreamt about him was actually that- just dreams. Not real" AJ told her and Dani nodded "I made my own family and I'm very happy for that"

"Maybe I'll get to do that one day too" Dani said to her

"I'm sure you will" AJ said to her "But you still have us and we're always going to be your family"

"Are we ready?" Punk asked walking into the room

"Yea just about" AJ said to him

"You both look beautiful" Punk grinned

"Thanks" they both smiled

"I've got something for you" he said to Dani and handed her a small velvet box

"It's not my birthday" She said confused as she accepted the gift

"You really are a mini AJ" He smirked "Just open it" Dani opened the box to reveal skull diamond stud earrings. "AJ has the same exact pair I gave them to her on the night she was wearing that dress and it was the first time she ever went to a fundraiser with me"

"They're so pretty" Dani smiled happily "Thank you!" She cheered hugging him "Can you help me put them on?" she asked AJ

"Yea of course" AJ smiled waving her over and helped her put them in her ears.

"Ok girls before we go let's go over the ground rules one more time" Punk suggested. AJ rolled her eyes and Dani giggled. "Dani" Punk nodded for her start

"Don't wander off" Dani said in a defeated voice

"AJ" he said looking towards her

"Don't talk to John Cena" AJ said to him with a slight roll of her eyes

"Don't talk to strangers" Dani said when Punk looked back at her

"Excellent" he smiled

* * *

The fundraiser was pretty boring but Dani was the life of the party. Elliot swooped her away and introduced her to everybody and there wasn't one person who didn't get a kick out of her spunky honest attitude.

"Phil" AJ warned from the table as his hand ran up her knee "Why are you so bad every time I take you out?"

"I'm bored" He whined and AJ flashed to the first time she was here with him and he was doing the same thing to her.

"We are not sneaking off at a charity fundraiser" AJ warned

"Dani is off with Elliot and Jennifer, no one is even paying attention to us" Punk reminded her "Let's go to the car for ten minutes"

"Ten minutes?" AJ asked with a laugh

"Once this new baby comes we're never going to get any time" he reminded her "We need to make up for all of that time we're going to lose"

"Why can't you just sit here and wait for tonight?" AJ asked him

"Because you look amazing and I can't concentrate on anything when you're sitting there looking so delicious" he said to her

"Last time I took you up on this you knocked me up" she whispered with a smile

"So you know it's going to be good" Punk said seriously and she smiled.

"Ok let's go" AJ said standing up and walked towards the back exit.

"Watch her for a few minutes?" Punk asked Elliot as they passed him and Dani

"Yea sure" Elliot said then went back to the group he was introducing Dani to.

Punk unlocked the backdoor of his car and pushed AJ inside so she was laying on her back across the seat.

"You look just as beautiful the first time I saw you in this dress" Punk said to her as he loosened his tie.

"I'm pretty sure this is how our night ended that first night too" AJ smiled as she spread her legs waiting for him. He unzipped his fly and crawled on top of her.

"And look at all that's changed" Punk smiled "Never would have imagined after our first date we'd be married and have children" his hands moved under her dress and tugged her underwear down her legs.

"You'd think we'd outgrow this" AJ teased "Sneaking off and ripping each others clothes off"

"We'll never outgrow this" Punk said to her

"Good" AJ said reaching around and pulling him down to kiss her.

Punk loved being nestled between her legs and when she wrapped her strong legs around his waist it only excited him more. He pushed into her and could feel she was wet already. He moved his lips away from hers and began to kiss her neck and over her collarbone.

"Phil" she moaned trying to arch into him more. He wasn't giving her the attention she wanted at the moment.

"You taste so good" He said practically eating her bronzed skin. His hand moved between her thighs and he inserted to of his long fingers into her body. AJ arched into his fingers and he curled them inside of her causing her to moan with pleasure.

"Your touch is so good" She said happily as she wrapped her arms around his neck "But I need more" she said as her eyes closed from his touch.

"I know baby" He said as he still kissed any bare skin he could reach. He moved his fingers out and adjusted his pants without removing his lips. He positioned himself at her entrance and pushed all of the way into her.

"Oh!" she cried out happily.

"Taste" he said sliding his fingers that were just inside of her into her mouth. AJ sucked on his fingers greedily and knew this would turn him on and would force him to push into her. His hips were frozen as he watched her suck his fingers dry but AJ could feel him twitching inside of her.

"Come on honey" She smiled sweetly giving his fingers one last slow lick.

Punk almost completely pulled out of her before pushing back into her causing her to scream out. Punk kept most of his weight off of her so he wouldn't hurt the baby as he pushed her towards her release. He lifted her leg slight and bet it at the knee so he could hit her g-spot and smiled when he did.

"You like that don't you?" Punk grinned teasingly

"Oh god yes" AJ cried out

"Tell me how much you like it" he encouraged pushing into her again and again

"So much! Oh my god Phil it's so good!" she cried

"Tell me what you need" he said slamming into her and she slowly opened her eyes

"I need you to touch me" she requested.

He would have loved to drag this out longer until she was a puddle of water but he knew they didn't have much time and honestly her face was so sweet he couldn't resist. He moved his fingers over her clit and played with her until he felt her clench him so hard that he had no choice but to release into her himself. AJ joined him half a second later and the two were both satisfied and happy after.

"Are you ok?" Punk asked as he helped her sit up and pulled his fly up.

"Yes" she said lustfully "I want part 2"

"Right now?" Punk asked her with a wide grin

"No, later tonight" AJ said to him

"I was afraid once you got pregnant you wouldn't want to have sex as often" Punk admitted as he reached over for her underwear. She placed her legs over his lap and let him pull them on for her.

"Yea I don't think that's going to be a problem" she admitted almost embarrassingly

"I didn't hurt you or the baby right?" he asked suddenly

"No not at all" AJ assured him and reached over and cupped his face to kiss him "You made me feel so good"

"And you didn't want to sneak off" Punk scoffed pulling her dress down now.

* * *

The next day Punk and AJ were wrapping Christmas gifts and Punk looked around at all of the presents Dani then back to AJ.

"Do you think it's enough?" he asked her

"Yea I think twenty wrapped gifts is plenty" AJ laughed "That's not including what your family is getting her either"

"It's our first Christmas I want her to remember it" Punk insisted

"She's going to remember it" AJ assured him "Where are my gifts?" she asked him eagerly

"They're safely tucked away and hidden" Punk said proudly

"It's our first Christmas too" AJ reminded him "It's a first Christmas for all of us"

"Any regrets?" Punk asked her

"Not one" AJ said to him honestly "You?"

"Nope" he said "I've got my wife who is carrying my child and another kid. Life is really good now. I'm kind of just waiting for the other shoe to drop"

"We can't think like that" AJ said to him "But not to sound like a total Debbie downer- any word on Daniel?"

"No but I think I know where to get some answers" Punk said to her

"Are you going to tell me?" AJ asked him

"Arlo" Punk said to her "He's been too quiet and I'm sure Daniel would have wanted to reach out to him, probably already has"

"Maybe we should invite Arlo for dinner one night" AJ suggested and Punk looked at her like she was crazy.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Punk asked her

"I don't know why you think Arlo is so hell bent on hurting you" AJ said to him

"He didn't mind when I was kid and he used to smack me around" Punk said to her

"You're right" AJ said to him

"I don't want him around you or my kids" Punk said to her

"This kid is still safely tucked away" she reminded him placing her hand over her stomach.

"Seven and a half months will fly" Punk warned her

"Speaking of that where are we putting the nursery?" AJ asked him "We need to start planning this so we could move things around"

"We have five bedrooms we'll make it work" Punk said to her "We'll turn my office into the nursery and maybe we could share? That room is right in-between our room and Dani's"

"Yea" AJ agreed "But do you really want to give up your space?"

"Yea" Punk shrugged "Why do you want to move?"

"No" she said unsurely "But this place was huge and practical when it was just us but let's be real, there are a lot of stairs that aren't very child friendly. I always kind of envisioned a yard once we had kids" Punk wasn't sure what to say this at first but she did make sense.

"But it's not a big deal we can just go to park when we take our children to ride bikes and stuff" AJ shrugged "I just think it's sill we have to share an office when we have the money to buy a home"

"If you want to move just say it AJ" Punk said to her with a laugh

"I want what you want" AJ said to him "This place is beautiful but it's a bachelor pad" she reminded him "This was your first place you ever lived in on your own and I know you're attached to it"

"It's not that I just think we have more than enough room for all of us here" Punk defended lightly "We still have a spare bedroom"

"And then where do our guests sleep when they sleep over?" AJ asked him

"No one is going to be sleeping here" Punk laughed

"Don't you want a new home with your new family?" she asked him

"Living like Elliot and Jennifer isn't my thing" Punk informed her "I don't need fifteen bedrooms and a tennis court" he said to her

"I'm not saying we move into a mansion because I think we'd all get lost in a big home but-" she looked at his face and saw he wasn't enjoying t his conversation and decided to back off "You're right" she said to him "We'll bunk up on our offices that's all. This way we can keep at least one guest bedroom"

"Can we talk about this later?" he asked her

"There's nothing to discuss" She shrugged as she wrapped another gift "It's fine we can stay here. I mean if you feel safe in a home that Daniel easily walked in to and stole our beloved pet then I feel safe too" she said to him in a sweet voice. He knew what she was doing, she was making a point and was smug about it.

"I have to go pick up Dani" Punk said to her "We'll talk about it later"

"It's really ok" AJ said forcing a smile. "You better get to the school, Dani hates it when you're late"

Punk wanted to say something else but he didn't want to get into argument when Dani was waiting for him. He turned around and walked out of the room deciding to deal with it later.

* * *

When Punk pulled up in front of the school Dani jumped into the passenger seat and kept her hat pulled down as she put on her seatbelt.

"What's wrong?" Punk asked her

"Nothing" She sniffled

"Something is wrong you're crying" Punk said putting the car in park "You never cry"

"It's nothing" Dani said folding her arms and looking out the window.

"Dani if something happened in school you can tell me" Punk insisted

"I'd rather talk to AJ about it" Dani said to him

"Oh" Punk said trying not to sound hurt

"It's a girl thing" She added and that was enough for Punk

"Ok" Punk said starting the car again and pulling away from the school "You know you can tell me anything though right?"

"Yea" Dani sniffled

"I promise I'm a really good listener" He said to her

"Ok" Dani huffed and looked towards him finally and he was already regretting pushing her into talking to him "Why are boys stupid?"

"Because they are" Punk responded simply "Every last one of them." Punk smiled to himself feeling the conversation was over and he could place a check mark in the 'dad column' but clearly his answer didn't help his adopted daughter.

"Would AJ agree with that comment?" Dani shot at him

"If you were to ask her right at this very second probably" Punk admitted knowing AJ was a little peeved he didn't even entrain her moving idea. "Alright" Punk sighed "Tell me what happened"

"I think I'll just talk to mom about it" Dani said to him "No offense but you're one of them"

"I wouldn't agree with that" Punk said nervously

"Are you a boy?" she asked him quickly and angrily

"Yea" he said slowly

"So I guess you're not the solution but the problem" Dani said simply almost daring him to argue this point

"Ok you're upset" Punk said with another nervous laugh "Boy trouble, I get it I really do" he sympathized "You don't even have to tell me because I have the solution"

"Really?" she asked skeptically

"I can fix anything" Punk said proudly "An all girl private school" he glanced over to Dani whose mouth was slightly opened. "What?" he asked her

"You're being serious? I'm crying my eyes out and that's how you fix it?" Dani asked him

"I think it's an awesome idea" Punk defended "Besides you're too young to worry about boys. If you go to the private school you won't have to worry about any of this and you won't have to cry again" he said proudly but frowned when he saw he had only angered the young girl more "What do you think?"

"I just want to talk to AJ" Dani said turning in her seat to look away from him.

* * *

AJ was coming down the stairs when Dani ran and threw her arms around her.

"Oh what happened?" AJ asked her

"It was horrible!" Dani cried "And he made it worse!" She yelled pointing at Punk who looked confused

"I gave great advice" Punk defended. AJ shot Punk a glare, another one that frightened and then realized both his girls were equally pissed at him and he wasn't even sure why.

"Come on let's talk upstairs" AJ said wrapping her arm around Dani's shoulder but made sure to shoot Punk another death stare.

"What'd I do?" Punk asked them in a confused tone.

* * *

A half hour later AJ was still up there with Dani and when he tried to listen by the door AJ shooed him away. He had decided to stop by Mia's place to ask her about moving. She was in real estate and would have the best advice to offer on the matter.

"You're finally stopping by" Mia smiled stepping aside to let Punk into her new apartment with Dean.

"I haven't come by yet?" Punk asked

"Didn't even help us move" Mia said with a sarcastic smile

"I'm an asshole" Punk said bluntly "At least that's the opinion of the day"

"Mia have you see my-" Dean stopped when he saw Punk. Dean was only wearing boxers and had a toothbrush in his mouth

"It's four in the afternoon" Punk shot at him

"This is my place" Dean said removing the toothbrush

"My sister" he said pointing at Mia

"Enough" Mia chimed in

"Go put some fucking pants on at least" Punk spat with a shiver

"What's wrong?" Mia asked her brother once Dean was gone

"I think AJ wants to move" Punk said to her

"Why do you think that?" Mia asked him

"Because she basically said our home wasn't safe for children and we don't have enough space for everybody" Punk said to her

"Sounds like she didn't think it" Mia laughed then froze "What do you mean enough space for everybody?" she asked alarmed "You mean you, AJ and Dani? Because if that's the case then I think there's enough room"

"Of course that's what I mean" Punk said to her covering up for his slip

"Oh my god" Mia said covering her mouth with excitement

"Mia" he warned

"She's pregnant isn't she?" Mia asked in a high-pitched voice

"I didn't say that" Punk warned pointing her

"You didn't deny it either" she squeaked

"Mia please" Punk begged "Just keep it to yourself. It's really early into it and she'll kill more than she already wants to"

"I knew it" Mia said with a laugh "She was totally glowing at the fundraiser! And you kept putting your hand over her stomach!"

"Mia shush" he hissed "I'm serious this stays between us only"

"I'm so happy I'm the only one that knows after you kept me in the dark about Dani1" she cheered hugging him "Congratulations!"

"Thanks" Punk said pulling away from her

"And AJ is totally right" Mia informed him and he frowned "Your home isn't child friendly. You would have gotten away with it because Dani is older but you can't raise a baby in that cold dreary empty home" she said to him

"I don't think anything is wrong with our place" Punk said to her

"You have a ton of stairs!" Mia pointed out "What if your teaching the baby how to walk and it falls?"

"I don't think we're planning on teaching the baby how to walk at the top of the staircase" Punk remarked sarcastically

"Babies are fast and get away quickly." Mia argued

"Any place we move to is going to have stairs"

"But the baby would have more room in a bigger place. Your living room is furniture and a little a bit of free space." Mia said to him "And when Dani and the new baby want to go out and play where are they going to go? The roof? That's dangerous"

"The park is down the street" Punk said to her

"It closes at 5" Mia reminded him "Why are you so hell bent on keeping on this place?"

"I'm not I just don't know why we have to move" Punk said to her "We have plenty of room"

"Please don't tell me this is because you're cheap" Mia warned "I will literally slap you"

"No I'm not cheap I'm practical" Punk said to her "We live in a million dollar home"

"A million dollar bachelor pad" Mia corrected

"AJ said the same thing" Punk said to her

"She's not wrong" Mia said to him "Don't you want to live in a place without the memories of all the trashy one night stands you used to have. Don't you think your children and wife deserve better?"

"I'll make you deal, you see if there's a bigger place in the area we live in now and I'll take a look at them" Punk said to her

"Deal" Mia said happily "So what else did you do besides piss off your hormonal wife?"

"I pissed off my daughter too" Punk shrugged "I didn't even do anything wrong" He defended "She was upset about some boy-"

"Joey?" Mia asked concerned

"What?" Punk asked her

"Dani has been talking about him since she enrolled in school" Mia laughed "Don't you pay attention?"

"Apparently not" he mumbled

"So what happened?" Mia asked "I know the winter formal is in a few weeks and she was hoping he'd ask her"

"She wouldn't tell me" Punk admitted "She told me I made it worse"

"You probably did" Mia said to him "You need to realize that you're raising a little girl and problems like these may seem small to you but to her it's everything"

"All I suggested was private school" Punk defended

"You're really off of your game" Mia said in a disappointed voice and reached for her phone "I'll just text Dani"

"You text my daughter about her 'boy' trouble?" Punk asked her "She's in sixth grade may I remind you"

"I had my first kiss in 6th grade" Mia said happily

"It was that little prick Tommy from next door wasn't it?" Punk asked her and Mia just shrugged

"You have to understand she's also new to this school and she's trying to fit in. She's not just adjusting to a new home and family but school as well" Mia pointed out

"I get it but they're both pissed at me now" Punk said to her "I'm actually a little afraid to go home" He admitted in a whisper

"A young girl becoming a teenager and a pregnant wife" Mia said fondly "I would be afraid too"

"Thanks you've been super helpful" Punk smiled sarcastically

"Buy them something" Mia said to him

"Like what?" Punk asked seriously

"Something thoughtful" Mia said to him "And tell AJ she's right you can't possibly raise your small family in that death trap of a home"

"It's not a death trap" Punk defended

"You live above a tattoo parlor" Mia reminded him "Who knows what kind of weirdo's go in there at night"

"None that are going to be hanging out with my kids" Punk scoffed

"Come on" Mia sighed "I know this scares you"

"No it doesn't" Punk defended

"You're afraid if you move out of that townhouse and get one of those homes with a white picket fence you're going to become boring and you're going to feel old" Mia said to him

"I wasn't thinking that all but thank you for bringing it up" Punk mumbled

"You're just maturing if you do this and it means you're putting your family first" Mia reasoned "Your bachelor days were over the day you met AJ" she smirked "And honestly I think you're going to love having a real home finally. I'm sure Dani and AJ will too. You guys can make all of these new memories and it's going to be the place Dani and the new baby grow up in and one they'll bring their own children there to visit."

"I guess" Punk agreed "We could use some more space" he said giving it thought

"I'll look around and see if I can find something you'll like it" Mia said to him

* * *

When Punk got home an hour later he didn't have much time before he had to be at the club so headed up the stairs and realized Dani and AJ were both laying in bed watching a movie.

"Hi girls" Punk said with a nervous smile

"Hi" AJ said with a genuine smile

"Sorry I yelled at you" Dani said

"It's ok" Punk said stepping into the room and handed Dani a small bouquet of flowers "Thought they'd cheer you up" he said to her and she smiled and gave him a hug

"They're so pretty!" She smiled "No one has ever given me flowers before"

"Well you deserve them" Punk said to her "And when you're twenty-one and start to date make sure whatever guy is lucky enough to date you gives you flowers and anything else you want"

"Thanks dad" She said with a soft smile

"And for you" he said passing AJ a single rose.

"Thank you" she smiled sweetly and accepted the flower and that's when she saw something shiny. It was a diamond bracelet draped around it. "Oh Phil" she said taking the bracelet off of the rose. "It's so beautiful" Punk leaned over and kissed AJ

"Ew" Dani said scrunching up her face "I'm leaving" she jumped off of the bed and walked out of the room with her flowers.

"You didn't have to get me anything" AJ said to him "I wasn't mad"

"I know but I wanted to thank you" he said to her

"For what?" AJ asked him as he helped her put on the bracelet

"For giving me not one but two kids" Punk said to her "For marrying me" he added "Also here's hoping that there's a boy in there to help me even up the playing field" he said poking her stomach gently

"Where did you disappear to?" she asked him

"I went to see Mia" Punk said to her "I asked her to look into house"

"Phil you don't have to do that" she said seriously

"No you were right" Punk said to her "It's just everything has happened to fast and it hasn't even been a year. I never thought I'd date a girl past four weeks and now I'm married and two kids deep. It's a lot for me to adjust to but you're not wrong about the space and it would be nice to live in a home that Daniel hasn't been in before"

"Let's just get through the holiday's first" AJ said to him "We'll worry about the other stuff later"

"Ok" he agreed


	53. Christmas Time

**Christmas Time**

* * *

Punk was in his office at The Cellar. It was the night before Christmas Eve and that meant the club would be closed for the next few days and he could spend the next two days with his family. He never thought he'd get to the point of his life where he was looking forward to being home.

"Hey Punk someone is asking for you out here" Langston announced walking into his office. His trustworthy bouncer from SXS was also splitting his time at The Cellar.

"Who is it?" Punk asked

"Some Spanish guy" Langston shrugged "Said he's AJ's father"

"You're shitting me" Punk said slowly

"Afraid not" Langston said to him "Want me to throw him out?"

"No send him in. I'm curious as to why he was stupid enough to show up here" Punk said leaning back in his chair "But make sure you search him before you let him in"

A few minutes later Alberto Del Rio walked into his office. He had a smile on his face and was almost cocky as he took a seat across from Punk.

"Hello" Alberto grinned

"Why do you look like the grinch after he stole all the presents from whoville?" Punk asked amused

"You watch children's movies often Phillip?" Alberto asked with a laugh

"What do you want?" Punk asked more seriously

"A hundred thousand dollars" Alberto said to him and Punk stared at him for a moment then laughed

"Would you like it in cash or would a check do?" Punk asked still laughing

"Cash" Alberto said seriously "Big bills if you don't mind"

"Alright I'll bite" Punk said still very amused "Why do you think I would just hand you over a hundred thousand dollars?"

"That's just to start" Alberto informed him "When I need cash you'll give it to me until the day I die"

"Ok" Punk smirked "This has been very entertaining but you're pissing me off now so get out"

"I read the papers Phillip" Alberto reminded him

"You know how to read?" Punk asked seriously

"I would be nice to me" Alberto warned "I know you and my daughter-"

"Don't call her that" Punk warned him "We've discussed this" he reminded him coldly

"I know you and AJ are adopting a little girl and next week you go before the judge and he makes it official" Alberto said to him "Congratulations to that lucky kid who hit the jackpot and landed two rich parents by the way"

"It's not about the money" Punk said to him

"It's all about money" Alberto corrected

"So you read, I've learned something new" Punk said to him

"I know your father is very powerful and the judge will probably see his last name on some forms and sign off on this but something might stop him" Alberto said to him "You putting a gun into an unarmed man's mouth. Not only would you not get custody of that kid but she'd probably be ripped from your home in a matter of hours"

"There's no proof" Punk said to him "No judge is going to take your word over mine"

"I have security cameras in my bar Phillip" Alberto informed him "I have the video and I will take it to the judge and then you won't have a child anymore. And if you think you're going to beat me up or maybe kill me to stop me just know the video is with my son and if I don't come home he's releasing the video"

"Why not just go the police?" Punk asked him

"What's in it for me?" Alberto laughed "I want your money not you locked away. And if I came to you and said I was going to the police you'd buy your way out of it. But family court is a little tougher to buy off"

"Get out" Punk said in a cold voice

"Because it's Christmas I'll give you three days to get me the money" Alberto said to him "You can contact me when you have it all together and we'll set up a safe meeting where I feel safe. Also say hello to April for me." Punk glared at the man and for the first time in his life he wasn't sure what to do but then Alberto stopped just short of walking out the door and turned to look back at Punk. "I think I'm a little young to be a grandfather personally" he smirked then left his office.

* * *

Punk went home right after Alberto stopped in to see him and tried to figure out what to do. He really didn't have much of a choice he'd have to pay off Alberto because it wasn't a lot of money to him but he would have this hanging over his head for his entire life. When Punk walked into his house it was lit up by the 9ft Christmas tree that Dani had picked out.

"Check it out" Dani said racing over to Punk "I made the baby a Christmas ornament because technically it's their first Christmas with us too" she said happily showing Punk. He looked at the paper ornament and smiled.

"Its great" he said genuinely

"Are you ok?" Dani asked sensing he was not his usual self.

"Yea everything is fine" Punk said to her "What are you doing up so late by the way?"

"We had to finish the tree" Dani said to him "Doesn't it look great?"

"It's perfect" Punk smiled looking at it

"There you are" AJ said entering the living room "We've been waiting for you"

"Always good to hear" Punk said putting on a smile

"Dani has something for us" AJ informed him

"Really?" Punk asked with a smirk looking towards Dani

"Yea I know it's early but I'm too excited and have zero patience" Dani admitted happily "You'll learn that about me"

"I think we already know" AJ teased

"Sit let me go get your presents!" Dani cheered running up the stairs

"Why are you so pale?" AJ asked Punk once Dani was gone "Are you feeling ok?"

"Yea I'm good" he assured her not convincingly

"Is it about Daniel?" AJ asked him still not buying it.

"No it's all good" he said to her and that's when Dani came down the stairs with a box that was wrapped in newspaper.

"This is how we used to wrap gifts for each other in the foster home" Dani said feeling slightly embarrassed

"I love it" Punk smirked taking a seat on the couch with AJ.

"It's not much because I didn't want to ask for money to buy you guys a gift" Dani admitted "Elliot helped me with it" she told them proudly and watched as AJ unwrapped it. "It's a scrap book" she told her "It has a lot of my baby pictures and stuff in it. This way it's like you've known me forever" she said happily

"Wow" AJ smiled looking at the first page that had all photos of Dani as a newborn.

"There's other stuff in there too that my mom had kept" Dani said "My first tooth, a lock of my hair from my first haircut" she said pointing out the items.

"This is awesome" Punk smiled

"And I thought we could make one for the new baby too" she suggested

"That's a really great idea" AJ said then gave her a hug "I love it"

Punk had been quiet as he took the book from AJ and looked thru it. He was thrilled to get to know the side of Dani that he and AJ missed.

"My mom had kept a lot of it and I had it in a box but I never went through it before" Dani said to them

"Punk?" Dani asked "Dad?" she was using both their names and mom &amp; dad lately. A lot like Punk had done with Elliot and Jennifer. When she called him dad Punk looked up at her and passed the book back to AJ.

"That's the best gift I have ever gotten" He said standing up and giving her a hug then quickly pulled away. "I've got to run out for a little I won't be long" he said to them and both girls were confused.

"What's wrong?" AJ asked standing up

"Nothing" He said to her and kissed her quickly "Seriously I won't be long" and he then practically ran out of the house

"Did he not like it?" Dani asked AJ

"No I know he loved it" AJ said to her "He's just a little preoccupied"

"Maybe he really didn't like it" Dani suggested

"Why wouldn't he?" AJ scoffed

"Maybe it's just too much" she said taking the book from AJ

"He told you it was the best gift he had ever gotten and he never lies" AJ said to her "He just came from work and something probably upset him there, don't worry" she said to her "Now sit and look at the book with me" she said taping the seat next to her.

* * *

Punk walked right past Maria and straight into Elliot's office without even knocking or caring if he was busy and clearly he was. If he was still here at this time he was obviously in a meeting but Punk's family was at risk and he was going to the one man who had always helped him.

"Sorry-" Punk started

"We're done here" Elliot said to the two men sitting across from him "We can finish this up after the holiday" he said to him

"But we need this now" one man said standing up

"Great have a Merry Christmas" Elliot smiled walking them to the door not caring he could be blowing a big deal. He then closed the door and walked over to Punk who was visibly upset. "Phil" he said cautiously

"I need your help" Punk admitted almost holding back tears. Elliot walked Punk over to a chair and sat on the edge of his desk himself.

"Tell me everything" Elliot said to him

Punk explained Alberto dropping by his office and his fear of Alberto using the footage against him and showing the judge. Elliot listened carefully and remained silent while Punk ranted and rambled about the entire ordeal.

"I can't lose Dani" Punk said to him

"You're not" was the first Elliot's spoke

"It's not about the money either" Punk said to him "I have it and I'll give it to him-"

"You're not giving him anything" Elliot said to him "I'm going to take care of this for you"

"I'm not asking you fix this I just want advice" Punk said helplessly

"I know you're not asking but I'm going to handle this myself" Elliot said to him "Put it out of your mind"

"I'm a little old to go running to daddy every time I'm in trouble" Punk said to him

"You're never too old" Elliot corrected "And you'll understand that once Dani is older"

"I can't let her go back to that place" Punk said to him

"She's not going to" Elliot said to him with ease

"I don't want you involved either" Punk said to him "This guy is a criminal-"

"I've dealt with worse" Elliot replied smugly "Dani is my family too I don't take threats on my family lightly. Does AJ know?"

"No" Punk said shaking his head "She has to avoid stress" he said to him without thinking

"Why?" Elliot asked him

"You'll find out soon enough" Punk said coyly and Elliot grinned already knowing "I didn't think something like this would come back to haunt me"

"This is what I warned you about" Elliot reminded him

"Dani gave AJ and I that book you helped her make us" Punk said to him

"It was all her idea" Elliot said proudly

"I couldn't even look at her" Punk admitted "I've been her father for a short amount of time and already let her down"

"No you haven't" Elliot argued "She adores you and AJ. And you did the right thing coming to me"

"Then why does it feel like I chickened out?" Punk asked him

"The most selfless thing you can do is a father is ask for help when you need it" Elliot informed him "I'm proud of you"

"How are you going to fix this?" Punk asked

"It's not your concern" Elliot assured him "Your concern is taking care of my grandchildren and daughter in law. And don't worry about Dani's adoption I happen to be very good friends with the judge" he smirked "Not that you need it because you and AJ have provided a beautiful home for Dani. Anyone in their right mind can see that"

"I think we're going to move" Punk blurted out

"Out of Chicago?" Elliot asked him

"No but somewhere bigger. Mia has been showing me places and I think I found the perfect place" Punk said to him "I was going to surprise AJ and Dani tomorrow and show them the place"

"I think a house is a great idea" Elliot said to him

"It'll be pointless if Dani isn't there" Punk said to him

"Have I ever let you down before?" Elliot asked him seriously

"No" Punk had to admit

"And I won't this time" Elliot said to him

"I don't think you really understand how fucked up this guy is" Punk said to him "He has zero feelings for anyone other than himself"

"Do you think Arlo was a real pleasure when we took you in?" Elliot asked him "I know how to handle men like Mr. Del Rio"

"I didn't realize Arlo ever cared" Punk said to him

"He didn't at that time" Elliot said to him "He just wanted to be spiteful and it all caught up to him eventually"

"He's been out for a while now and quiet" Punk said to him "Too quiet"

"What are you thinking?" Elliot asked curiously

"I wonder if he's introduced himself to his other son" Punk said to him

"That's a little dark even for Arlo" Elliot pointed out

"I don't trust anyone from that side" Punk said to him

"I don't blame you" Elliot agreed "But stop letting all of this consume and let yourself be happy" he encouraged "It's Christmas! And it's your first Christmas with your new family you should be hanging stockings and watching Christmas movies" he said to him "Go home and don't think about this again"

* * *

When Punk got home AJ was sitting in the living room looking at the book Dani gave them for Christmas.

"What was that?" AJ asked closing the book and looking over to him "Why did you run out like that?" she demanded

"I'm sorry I had to see Elliot" Punk said to her and her face turned to concern

"Is he ok?" AJ asked

"Yea" Punk said sitting next to her

"So what's wrong?" she asked "And try to remember we don't keep secrets it's one of the best parts about us. Full disclosure always." She reminded him

"Alberto came to the club" Punk said to her "He has a video of me from the last time I was in his shit bar and told me if I didn't pay him off he'd show the family court judge the footage"

"So we just pay him" AJ said to him simply "That's all, easy. How much does he want?"

"A hundred thousand" Punk said to her

"So let's give him the money and move on we have that" AJ said simply

"It's not that simple AJ" Punk said trying to reason with her

"Phil do you understand that the judge will take Dani from us if he sees that video?" AJ asked him seriously

"He's not going to see the video it's under control" Punk said to her

"Elliot is going to make it go away?" AJ asked him

"Yea" Punk said to her

"Why make things difficult and chance pissing him off?" AJ asked "We can't gamble our daughter"

"You don't think I know that?" Punk asked her

"I don't think you're taking this seriously Phil" AJ argued "How do we know he hasn't gone to the judge already?"

"Because he can't just look up a judge names and get their information" Punk said to her

"Can we please just pay him?" AJ begged

"If we pay him now we'll be paying him forever" Punk said to her

"We have the money!" She argued

"We do right now but when he starts asking for more and more we won't. And soon we won't be able to provide for Dani, is that what you want?" Punk asked her

"This is a nightmare" AJ said placing her face in her hands and shaking her head

"It's going to be fine" Punk promised her

"Maybe I can talk to him?" AJ suggested

"No" Punk said shaking his head "Remember the last time you were alone with him?" he asked her "We've got a couple days" he said to her "Let's let Elliot handle this because he knows how to. He'll probably just pay him off. Trust me Elliot wouldn't risk Dani"

"You're right" AJ said trying to calm herself "And what judge would even take a video from a man like Alberto?"

"Exactly" Punk said placing his hand on her knee "Let's just make this Christmas special ok?"

"Speaking of, you need to speak to Dani" AJ said to him "She thinks you ran out because you didn't like her gift"

"I loved it" Punk said confused

"You should tell her that then" AJ said passing him the scrap book

* * *

Punk knocked on Dani's door and heard a faint 'come on'. He walked inside and saw her reading comic books on her floor.

"Hey" Punk said looking down at her

"Hi" Dani said to him not taking her eyes off of the comics

"I was hoping you could look at the book you made for us with me?" Punk asked

"You don't have to" Dani said to him

"I didn't mean to run out Dani" Punk said taking a seat on the floor next to her "I just was upset about something, I wasn't about at you" he promised her

"Are you sure?" Dani asked him

"Yes" Punk said to her "Do you know what full disclosure is?"

"No" Dani admitted sitting up straight

"It's about always being honest no matter what" Punk said to her "AJ and I had promised each other to always be honest and that's how it works in this house. If I'm ever upset with you I would tell you and I hope you'd do the same with me"

"I can be honest" Dani said to him

"Good" Punk said to her

"So what were you upset about?" Dani asked him

"I saw someone tonight that I don't really like" Punk told her honestly "He made me angry and sometimes when I'm angry it's best I just stay by myself"

"If you didn't leave would you have hit AJ?" Dani asked surprising him

"Why would you ask me that?" Punk asked alarmed

"My other dad used to get angry and when he'd come home he'd hit my mom" Dani admitted

"I would never hit AJ or any woman for that matter" Punk said to her very seriously "I lived like that when I was younger then you so I know it's scary sometimes and you also think its pretty normal but it's not" he lectured "It's never ok to hit someone especially someone you love. Sometimes AJ and I will argue because it's normal but we'd never hit each other or you for that matter."

"That's good to know" Dani said with a faint smile

"So what do you say? You want to go show off this awesome scrap book or what?" he asked opening the book

"Ok" she said happily

* * *

On Christmas Eve Punk, AJ and Dani were going over to Jennifer and Elliot's for the holiday. AJ was nervous about Alberto but she realized that Alberto was no match for Punk or Elliot. She also didn't want to dampen anyone's mood, Dani was excited for her first Christmas with them and she wanted to make sure it would memorable.

"Where are we going?" AJ asked Punk

"I wanted to show you two something" Punk said and Dani's ears perked up

"Is it a present?" Dani asked

"It could be" Punk smiled looking at Dani in the rearview mirror

"Seriously Phil what is going?" AJ asked him as he just continued to drive

"It's a surprise" He said simply.

After driving for twenty minutes he pulled into huge circular driveway. The house was just out of town and had a huge front yard. The house was dark brick and had a large tree off to the side.

"Wow!" Dani said in awe looking out her car window.

"What is this?" AJ asked him

"I'll show you" Punk said jumping out of the car. AJ and Dani also climbed out and walked to the front door. Punk pulled a pair of keys out of his pocket and opened the door. "Mia left the keys with me" he said to her and opened the front door.

The house had a huge great room as they stepped inside and a spiral staircase. The place was empty which made it look ten times bigger.

"This place is frigging huge!" Dani said in awe

"Language" AJ reminded her

"Check out the kitchen" Punk said walking them across the room into the kitchen that was three times the size of the last one.

"Wow think about all the pizza you can make here" Dani remarked sarcastically to AJ

"Funny" AJ smirked

"If you go to the back door" he said gesturing to the French doors located in the kitchen "It leads right outside to the back which has plenty of grass and-"

"A pool!" Dani said excitedly "Can I go check it out?"

"Yea but the pool is covered so don't get any ideas" he warned opening the door for her and watched as she skipped outside

"Phil you don't have to do this" AJ said to him

"No you were right and I saw a couple of places but this place was just built no one has lived here before this could be our home" he said to her "The rooms are huge, it's in a safe area, it's close to the clubs, it's also right by the schools" he reasoned as he kept one eye on Dani outside

"Dani seems to like it" AJ smirked seeing Dani happily outside

"What about you?" Punk asked

"I haven't seen much but I do like it" AJ said with a smile "It's truly a dream home"

"You should see our bedroom" He said to her

"But you love the view of the City you're not getting that here" AJ reminded him

"No but I love the view of my family more now" Punk replied smoothly

"I want you to want this too" AJ said to him

"I do" Punk said to her "There's seven bedrooms here" He told her "There's enough room for Dani and the new baby plus our offices plus plenty room for the imaginary guests you think we'll have and more room for more babies"

"For a man who didn't want one you're really anxious" she laughed

"I like being a parent" Punk said to her proudly "Hopefully the new baby is as easy as Dani"

"Dani is going to be a teen in two years, you'll be singing a different tune" AJ warned "I was a handful at that age and from what Jennifer has told me so were you"

"Can I see my bedroom?" Dani asked coming inside

"Yea and it's pretty big" Punk said to her with a smile

"Bigger than the one I have one?" Dani asked

"Yes and you'll have your own bathroom" Punk said to her and even AJ was impressed "Mia told me girls need that sort of thing" he whispered to AJ

"Do I get my own bathroom?" AJ asked him with a grin

"We share one" He said firmly "We share everything. Besides I like rolling out of bed and walking into your shower" he smirked

"Ew I'm standing right here" Dani reminded them

"Alright lets finish this tour" Punk said to them

After taking the girls on a tour of the rest of the house both were in love with the home. The bedrooms were double the size and AJ's office was a dream, there would be so much room for all of her books and plenty of room to add. Dani loved her room and the private bathroom was really what won her over. The room was huge and the closet was tremendous. She was also happy to see her room would be right across from the baby's room because after the shock, she was just as excited for the new baby as they were.

"So we like it?" Punk asked them

"We love it" AJ smiled

"Best house ever!" Dani agreed

"So Merry Christmas!" Punk cheered

"Don't you have to put an offer on it?" AJ asked him quietly "We don't want to get her hopes up"

"Do you really think someone is going to out bid me?" Punk asked her seriously

"Since this place is so big maybe we can get a dog!" Dani suggested

"Oh I don't know about that" Punk smirked "We don't have good luck with pets"

"Really Phil?" AJ shot at him "Let's just see if we get the house and move in then after we'll see how it goes?" she said to Dani

"It can live in my room that's all I'm saying" Dani added innocently "I have enough room and I have no problem sharing"

"A quality you did not learn from Phil" AJ teased looking over to Punk

"I don't share" he said simply with a shrug

"This is the best Christmas I have ever had in my entire life and it's not even Christmas yet" Dani said to them

"Me too" Punk agreed with a smile.

The cloud of Alberto was still looming over AJ and she couldn't help but feel he was going to try to ruin this for her in someway. She simply couldn't lose Dani and she trusted Elliot but she had to try to fix this for herself. There had to be some part of him that had a heart deep down….


	54. Fixing It

**Fixing It**

* * *

The morning after Christmas AJ woke up early and crawled out of her bed in hopes of not waking Phil. She got dressed and walked outside the bedroom but stopped by Dani's room and peeked in to make sure she was asleep as well, which she was. AJ headed down the stairs and grabbed a set of car keys and quietly drove off.

AJ arrived in Milwaukee in record time due to little to no traffic on the roads. And headed straight to the bar that AB and Primo owned. AJ stepped inside and saw one man laying on the floor sleeping and another one sleeping at the bar.

"Sorry, you missed the Christmas bash" Primo said from behind the bar

"You worked on Christmas?" AJ asked him

"Yea have to earn money somehow" Primo said to him

"How about you just blackmail your way into money?" AJ suggested

"I had nothing to do with that" Primo said to her

"Where is Alberto?" she asked

"He's sleeping and he doesn't like to be disturbed" Primo warned "And if you think you're going to talk him into stopping you're crazy"

"I was hoping he had some sort of a heart" AJ said stepping further inside and stepping over the man on the floor

"That's not going to happen" Primo said as he cleaned a glass

"I've had a shitty year" AJ said to him

"Are you really going to complain to me about have rough times?" Primo asked with a laugh

"You didn't hear I was kidnapped a few months ago?" AJ asked him

"I may have heard something" Primo admitted "I google you sometimes" he admitted

"Then I found out I couldn't have children" AJ informed him "And then I met Dani"

"Who is that?" Primo asked her and AJ could tell he slightly curious

"She's my daughter now" AJ said passing him her phone to show him a picture of Dani "Phil and I are adopting her but I'm sure you already know that"

"Cute kid" Primo mumbled looking away

"She's grew up like I did, like you did to I'm sure" AJ said to him

"She's lucky to have you found then" Primo said to her

"You're a good person" AJ said to him "Why are you here?"

"Where else am I going to go?" Primo asked her with a laugh "This is the life I know, not many opportunities come my way."

"I could help you" AJ offered

"You just want that video" Primo smirked

"I do" AJ said to him "But I'd also like some kind of family as well"

"Seems like you have a family now" Primo noted "AB has been there for me since I was kid, raised me by himself"

"And yet you seem to have turned out ok" AJ said to him "When Alberto gets that money do you really think he's going to share it with you?" she asked him "You have all the power and you don't even realize it"

"Are you saying you'd pay me off?" Primo asked

"If that's what you want" AJ said to him "I can get you the money" she assured him and he seemed intrigued "Or I could get you out of here" she offered "Get you a job and a place to live"

"I think it would be easier to pay me" Primo smirked

"Don't you want to spend holidays with family? Real family?" AJ asked him "Come back to Chicago with me"

"And leave everything here?" Primo asked with a laugh

"What's here for you?" AJ asked him "Alberto? Has he ever offered you a better life? I can provide that for you"

"So I move to Chicago and I'm assuming work in one of your high end clubs and that's it?" Primo asked

"Maybe over time you can be apart of my family" AJ offered "I don't know if that means a lot to you but it would to me"

"I wouldn't fit in to your life" Primo said to her

"I think you would" AJ shrugged "I'm having a baby too" she admitted "I've got a lot going on and I'm trying really, really hard to keep my family together and threatening to take Dani away from me is a horrible thing to do. She's as much my child as the one I'm carrying."

"Congratulations" Primo mumbled

"Dani and this new baby deserve to grow up without someone like Alberto" AJ told him "Wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you want more for your own children?"

"Give me a minute" Primo said putting down the rag he was using and walked from behind the bar and into the back room. A few minutes later he came out and handed AJ a disc. "That's the DVD. It's the only copy"

"Thank you" AJ smiled clutching the disc

"Just get out of here before he comes down" Primo said to her coldly

"I meant what I said about coming to Chicago" AJ said to him "You still have a chance"

"This is my life AJ." Primo shrugged "Just see to it your kids have a better one"

"Thank you" She said giving him a hug that he reluctantly accepted but quickly pulled away fro

"I mean it, you need to go" Primo urged ushering her to the door

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" she asked him

"Yes now go" he said pushing her out the door

AJ walked over to her car and got in. She looked at the DVD as relief ran through her body but a sharp knock on her window startled her.

"Jesus" She mumbled noticing it was Elliot. She rolled down her window and looked at him.

"I think we should talk" Elliot said to her with a smile. She knew she had been caught red-handed. Elliot is probably as happy as Punk would be to find her in Milwaukee meeting with her birth family.

"Why do I feel like I'm about to be grounded?" She asked him

"Because you're a very smart woman" Elliot teased

* * *

When AJ got home a few hours later she headed straight to The Cellar where he had told her he'd be.

"Hello" Punk greeted coolly as AJ walked inside the office

"I know Elliot called you" AJ said to him "And I know you're mad"

"Why would I be mad?" Punk mocked "I woke up and you were gone, you left a note saying you had to go shopping which I knew was a lie and then Elliot calls me and asks why I'm parked outside Alberto's bar. And I thought well he must be wrong because there's no way that my wife who took that same car to go 'shopping' would drive all the way to Milwaukee without even telling me about it" he said in a remarkably calm voice "I mean my wife would know better then to put herself in such a dangerous position after I had told her a few days ago I had this under control."

"It really wasn't dangerous" AJ defended innocently "I didn't even see Alberto and I got the video. Elliot made sure it was the video and took it himself"

"Do you realize how lucky you are?" Punk asked her seriously now "You could have died when Daniel took you, you could have fallen to your death in Hawaii and by some stroke of luck you're pregnant. And yet you still gamble all of it" he said to her "I don't get it AJ"

"I had to protect Dani" AJ argued

"We weren't going to lose her AJ" Punk argued back "Do you think I'd let that happen?"

"Why does it always depend on you?" AJ asked him "Why couldn't I try? This is as much my family as it is yours"

"Because Alberto came to me, not you" Punk shot at her "What if they hit you? What if you fell? You can't be so fucking reckless AJ!"

"I'm not being reckless I was protecting my family. Dani and you" she said to him "I won't apologize for it"

"You lied to me" He reminded her "What happened to the best part of us is our honesty? That only applies to me?"

"I didn't lie" She corrected "I just didn't tell you what I was doing"

"What if something happened to you today and Elliot wasn't there? How would I know where you were? I would have thought it was Daniel" Punk argued "What if Daniel followed you out there? I mean did you think of any of this before you snuck off?"

"I was fine" AJ assured him

"This time" Punk pointed out "Last time you snuck off to meet your family they attacked you" he reminded her "Why did you think this time would be any different?"

"I knew what to expect this time" AJ defended "I had my mace with me"

"Oh that's a brilliant plan" Punk laughed "Go home AJ"

"Phil-" She started

"I mean it AJ just go" He said looking down at his paperwork

"I need to be here I have work to do" AJ argued

"No you don't" Punk said ignoring her "Just get out"

"Why are you being so mean to me?" AJ asked hurtfully

"Because you have a real hard time thinking sometimes and it pisses me off" Punk told her bluntly "You also think rules don't apply to you and that pisses me off as well. So you should go home"

"Are you punishing me?" AJ laughed

"I just don't want to look at you at the moment honestly" Punk said to her "I mean after Dani took off we sat her down and had this hour long conversation about sneaking off and you couldn't even follow your own advice" he scoffed

"Fine" AJ said to him "I think you're overreacting though"

"Bye AJ" he said to her "Oh and Roman is downstairs he's going to be taking you home. He'll go anywhere you go"

"We've discussed the Roman thing" AJ reminded him

"We also discussed you doing stupid things but since you don't have to follow the rules neither do I" Punk shrugged simply

"I'm not a child" AJ argued

"You're right you're not" Punk agreed "But our eleven year child doesn't even act out the way you do"

AJ huffed and stormed out of the office, slamming his door so hard on the way out that picture fell and broke in the process. Punk looked towards the door but opted to not give in this time and apologize, she was wrong and he was going to stand his ground.

* * *

"So what did you do?" Dani asked from the kitchen counter as Jennifer baked a cake.

"I didn't do anything" AJ defended

"Punk was mad when he left" Dani noted "Not at me though"

"Sometimes things should stay between adults" Jennifer pointed out to Dani

"We have a full disclosure agreement in this house" Dani told Jennifer proudly. Jennifer had volunteered to watch Dani anytime Punk and AJ had to work or just wanted nights out and she loved it.

"You really are too much" Jennifer smirked and handed her the icing container so she could eat the leftovers.

"No she's right" AJ said and then grabbed a spoon "Share that kid" she said taking a spoonful of the icing "I did something he didn't like."

"Duh" Dani laughed

"I went somewhere and I wasn't honest about where I was going" AJ admitted

"You lied?" Dani asked surprised

"I didn't lie I just didn't tell Phil of my plans" AJ defended "I'm in the right"

"Well did you do something that you knew he wouldn't like?" Dani asked "You must have if you didn't tell him" she pointed out

"Smart girl" Jennifer smirked as she iced the cake

"I suppose" AJ admitted quietly

"So really you were in the wrong" Dani pointed out

"Whose side are you on anyway?" AJ asked Dani

"I'm on both of your sides" Dani said to her with a shrug

"By the way Dani showed me pictures of the new house" Jennifer smiled "It's beautiful"

"Yea" AJ agreed "Phil was putting his offer in today. I wonder if he did it?"

"He did" Dani answered "He told me. He said he told me because he's not talking to you and I should tell you"

"How nice of him" AJ mocked

"I can't wait to see it" Jennifer said to them

"You're going to love it" Dani assured her "We even have a pool!"

"That's going to be great in the summer" Jennifer said to her

"And my own bathroom!" Dani said happily "I used to share my bathroom with fifteen other kids and now I have my own!"

"Well we have to wait and see if we get the house" AJ reminded her

"Punk said he gets everything he wants" Dani said to AJ and AJ rolled her eyes, Punk would say that to her. "He said it's happening"

"He's very conceited" AJ remarked

"What's that?" Dani asked her

"Nothing" AJ mumbled

"Dani and I were wondering if she could spend the night with me and Elliot?" Jennifer asked AJ. "She promised to show me how to use the new ipad thing that Devon got me and we were going to have a movie night"

"Yea of course" AJ said to her

"Maybe you and Phil could use the privacy as well" Jennifer suggested

"I'm going to go pack my over night bag" Dani said jumping off of the counter she was sitting on and ran out of the room.

"I know it's a stressful time" Jennifer said to her "Just understand that Phil's anger is coming from a place of love"

"He doesn't have to be so mean about it though" AJ said to her "And Elliot is the one that ratted me out" she pointed out "He's on my list too"

"Again they're worried about you" Jennifer said to her "We're one of those annoyingly protective families."

"You think what I did was wrong too?" AJ asked

"I would have done the same exact thing" Jennifer said to her "And you solved this problem with violence or money. You're a mother and you did what you have to do. Doesn't mean it wasn't foolish either"

"But I solved everything he should be thanking me" She argued

"He won't see it that way" Jennifer grinned "Alright I'm going to clean up and get Dani out of here"

"Thank you by the way for watching her so much" AJ said to her

"It's my pleasure" Jennifer said to her "I love Dani and I love being a grandma. And don't think it's too much for either I will gladly change diapers as well"

"Does everyone know?" AJ asked Jennifer. She had gotten the feeling over Christmas that her pregnancy wasn't so much a secret.

"I'll answer that if I can officially congratulate you" Jennifer said trying to hide her smile.

"Go ahead" AJ smiled and Jennifer hugged her

"And yes sweetie everyone knows" Jennifer informed her and pulled away. "Being a grandmother has been such a rewarding experience and I am so looking forward to adding to it"

"One at a time" AJ laughed

"Sure" Jennifer teased "I suggest you go upstairs and take a nap, you were up early and drove for a while. By the time Phil gets home he'll have a much cooler head"

"What if he doesn't?" AJ asked her

"Then you give him a piece of this cake that I know his favorite" Jennifer said pointing to the cake "Then you use your leverage" she told her seriously "You're carrying his child. Just remind him of that and he'll fold, Elliot used to"

"I can't imagine you and Elliot every arguing" AJ said to her

"Oh you'd be surprised" Jennifer said with a smile "It happens to the best of us" she then gave AJ a kiss on the cheek. "I'll have Dani back in the afternoon tomorrow"

"Have fun" AJ said to her with a smile.

* * *

When Punk got home a few hours later the house was dark and he had known Dani was staying with his parents but maybe AJ had gone with her? It was probably for the best he was still mad at her and wasn't sure what he even wanted to say to her. Punk dropped his stuff on the nearest chair and headed into the kitchen and smiled when he saw the cake on the counter, he knew Jennifer had been there. This is exactly what he needed for dinner.

"How did I know you'd go for the cake before an actual meal?" the voice of his wife caused him to put his fork filled with cake into his mouth. He dropped it and turned around to look at her prepared for World War 3 but suddenly he was speechless. "I could cook you something you know" she offered. She was just prancing around the kitchen like she wasn't barely dressed. She was wearing a red teddy with matching heels, her hair and makeup was perfectly done as well. "If you don't want to talk to me that's fine at least let me feed you" she said grabbing him by the wrist and pulling out the kitchen chair for him.

Punk remained silent while his wife whipped something together fast for him. He was in awe of what she wearing but he also didn't want to bend, he was mad and she had to know it. He was not going to let her bribe him with sex no matter how strongly his body was reacting to her. She was only a few weeks along into her pregnancy and she didn't have a bump but she did put on a little weight and Punk thought she looked amazing. Also he wasn't sure if it was the teddy but her breast's and ass were extra distracting tonight.

"Here you go" she said placing a dish in front of him

"I'm not hungry" Punk choked out. He was actually starving but again he didn't want to bend. He pushed the dish away slightly and she frowned.

"You just want cake" she said to him with a laugh and cut him a piece of it and walked over with a fork. AJ put a little on the fork then sat directly on Punk, straddling him face to face so they were only inches apart. "Here you go" she said holding the fork out to him but he looked the other way. "Fine" She then placed the fork into her own mouth and ate the piece. "It's really good" she said putting the fork down then wrapped her arms loosely around his neck "I bet you could still taste it on my lips" she suggested seductively.

Punk and AJ's were inches apart and she knew she had finally won him over. Before their lips met he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist and let him carry her out of the kitchen and into the living room. He carefully dropped her onto the couch and stood over her. She looked absolutely stunning sprawled out dressed like that for him and she was anxious for him and he wanted her just as bad but he had to think with his head and not his dick. He turned around and walked back into the kitchen leaving AJ excited and slightly confused. A minute later she shot her head up and could see him clearly sitting back in his chair and eating his cake.

"You're kidding me" she muttered annoyed "Phil!" She yelled out but he didn't even flinch he completely ignored her. "You really can't be that mad at me!" she shouted walking into the kitchen but it was like she wasn't even there. He just sat there with a blank look and ate the cake on the dish before him.

AJ huffed and waved her hand in front of his face but nothing- didn't even blink. She looked down and his body gave him away, he knew she was there because he was hard and it was very noticeable. He'd crack soon.

"I know you see me" she said smugly "I know you want me" she said whispering into his ear. "You're hard right now and I can take care of that for you" she said sweetly. "I want you too" she said to him. She forcibly grabbed his hand and placed it over her own heat. "I really need you baby I know you can feel it" she said pressing his hand hard into her. When she let go she had hoped he'd continue but he just dropped his hand and looked straight ahead. "Fine, make your pregnant wife feel ugly and unwanted" she shot at him then stormed out of the kitchen.

Punk smirked when she was gone and continued to eat his cake as if none of this had ever happened. Punk knew AJ better then she knew herself and gave her two more minutes, she'd be back down.

"What I did was wrong ok" AJ announced and Punk smiled to himself as he continued to not even look at her direction "I'm sorry ok?" she cried. When he heard her cry he had to look at her, he hated when she cried it was like his kryptonite. "I did something out of the goodness of my heart for our family but you're doing is just cruel"

"Come here" he said nodding his head for her to join him. She slowly walked over to him and felt embarrassed. "You can't do something like that again" he said to her seriously "I'm not mad that you lied, well I am, but I'm more made that you could have been hurt and you don't even care. It's not just me anymore you're a mom now. You can't be so reckless" he said to her

"But I did solve everything" AJ reminded him quietly

"And how did you do that?" Punk asked her "I'm dying to know how you got that DVD"

"Primo just gave it to me" She shrugged

"And you really think there aren't strings attached to that DVD?" Punk asked her "I fucked up, it was my mistake and it was up to me to handle it- not you"

"You would have done the same for me" she reminded him

"You're right" Punk nodded in agreement "But I'm not carrying our child either you are"

"I get it" she said to him

"Do you really?" he asked her seriously

"Yes" she said to him "Please stop pretending I don't exist now"

"It wasn't easy" Punk teased "It was very hard" he smirked "Very, very hard as a matter of fact"

"Can we make up now?" she asked hopefully and gently straddled him again like she did when he first came home.

"Yea" He smiled and pulled her face down to meet his and the two began to kiss sweetly but it quickly escalated thanks to AJ's strategic hip rolls into him. His hand slipped into her panties and immediately entered her.

"I'm really…." AJ tried to get out as she pushed into Punk's fingers

"What baby?" he asked curiously

"Sensitive" she admitted feeling she was already going to break and he had only just started

"Good" He smiled "Because I am starving by the way" and she knew what he meant by that "I really should eat something"

"I cooked for you" she reminded him

"It's cold now, I need something a little warmer" he smirked as his thumb massaged her clit. "What could I eat?" he asked himself innocently

"Oh god Phil" she moaned trying not to cum yet, she wanted to wait until he was buried deeply inside of her but she knew that wasn't his game plan.

"You really are sensitive, huh?" He asked already feeling her orgasm approaching "Have I been neglecting you honey?" he teased

"Hormones" she rasped out as her eyes shut tightly

"I like this" Punk smiled happily and with one curl of his fingers she climaxed around them.

"Sorry" She said feeling embarrassed for losing it so early in.

"Don't apologize for that I love feeling you tighten around my fingers it's so fucking hot" He said looking up at her

"You know what's better then your fingers?" she asked slowly opening her glassy eyes

"My tongue?" he asked seriously and her eyes widened. He pushed the dish with the cake right onto of the floor without caring and lifted AJ carefully onto the table and laid her across the long table. He slid her panties down her body and dropped those to the floor next to the discarded cake.

AJ lifted her head slightly and saw Punk casually sit back in his chair and pull into the table as if she wasn't lying naked from the waist down in front of him like a human sacrifice.

"I could eat this for dinner every night" He said seriously and AJ dropped her head back against the table. He licked his lips as he grabbed her legs and pulled them up over his shoulders, she wrapped them around his neck loosely and let him pull her as far as it took to be in reach of his mouth. She was arched slightly but his hands were supporting her as her lower half was wrapped around his face practically and her back and head were lying down. She felt his tongue lick around her before entering her; it was like he was cleaning her up from her previous orgasm.

"Do you think you can handle another go?" He asked her

"I can handle anything from you" she said to him waiting and biting on her lip with anticipation.

"Sounds like a challenge" Punk said with a chuckle as he gave her a hard lick across her wet lips. "You know how I feel about that" he reminded her. "Is this ok for you and the baby?"

"Yes Phil it's fine" She said to him almost angrily.

That's all Punk needed to hear and he slipped tongue in-between her folds causing her to cry out and look up at the ceiling. His nose was hitting her in all of the right spots too. She wasn't sure what to do with her hands so she balled them into fists as she just laid there and let him make her feel good. AJ wanted his tongue deeper and knew he needed her help with that, she tightened her legs around his neck trying not to kill him in the process of course and scooted down and arched higher into him and that's when she felt it, it was amazing.

"Yes Phil" she moaned "Please, more" she begged. He stood out of the chair slightly so he could delve deeper and continue to breathe in the process. His nose kept knocked into her almost pushing her over the edge. His tongue moved out of her and his teeth moved her clit, when he gently bit down on it she hit her breaking point and lost herself again.

"Yes" Punk said triumphantly. AJ's legs dropped from around his neck and he leaned down and licked her clean again like he had done before. "Do you know how amazing it is to watch you cum like that?" he asked grabbing her arm and sitting her up. She was a little light headed from her two orgasms but managed to smile at him. "I could watch you do that on repeat everyday" He then scooped her up in his arms and carried her bridal style out of the kitchen and up the stairs into their bedroom.

Punk carefully placed her on the bed and looked down at her and waited for her to open her eyes. He needed to know she was ok to go again because he was now harder then before and needed to take care of it. She opened her eyes and stretched her arm out and tugged on the top of his jeans weakly.

"Come on" She said to him and gave him a smile

"You seem tired" Punk teased as he sat on the bed and began to carefully removed her teddy. "These are really hot when you wear them but they really just waste my valuable time"

"You like them" She giggled

"I like you best naked" he said seriously and when she was fully naked he looked at her stomach.

"Something wrong?" she asked noticing his distraction.

"You have a very slight bump" he said running his hand over it. "I only know this because I know your body. It's so tiny but it's there"

"Grossed out?" she teased

"No not at all" He said to her then stood up and pulled his shirt off and removed the rest of his own clothes.

He crawled over her body and leaned down to kiss her but she jerked away and gave him a funny look.

"Oh don't be like that" Punk laughed "You taste really good"

"To you" she said to him

"I'm not going to have sex with you and not kiss you" he warned her and she pouted "You really do taste so good" he promised her "You've tasted it before you know this already" he said then tried to kiss her again but she teasingly moved her head in the other direction "Stop being difficult" he said pushing into her by only an inch or two "That's what waiting for you" he reminded her and that's all it took. She grabbed his face roughly and kissed him just the same. He rewarded her for this action by pushing into her fully without much warning.

AJ turned the tabled on him and was able to roll him onto his back and looked down devilishly at him. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed off of him then back down in a very satisfying rhythm.

"You look so fucking good on me" Punk grunted out as he pushed into her to meet her rhythm. "Fuck AJ" he groaned as his hands moved to her hips then they moved up over her stomach and cupped her breasts. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his mouth around them and tried to sit up to do just that but AJ used her hands to push him back into the bed.

"Be a good boy and just lay there" She ordered

"Whatever you say boss" He teased but his cocky grin was gone when she dropped back onto him. "Fuck!" He cried out, she was so rough and moving so fast. AJ knew he was almost there and moved her own fingers over herself to help her catch up to him which she did.

When Punk felt they were both approaching orgasm he sat up quickly and she wrapped her arms around him as he pushed up onto her causing them both to push each other into their climaxes at the same time. Punk fell right back down and took AJ with him this time. He loved feeling her heart beat against his chest and smiled happily as he ran his fingers through her hair. He felt her kiss him softly over his own beating heart and lifted her chin so she was looking at him directly. She leaned into his lips and kissed him sweetly as she carefully climbed off of him.

As AJ moved to be at his side he rolled onto his own side and continued to kiss her deeply. Once they pulled away he rested his forehead against hers and pecked her lips one last time.

"Sorry I made you angry" she apologized

"Sorry I made you cry" he responded "I'll try not to do it again" he promised

"I know" she smiled "I love you"

"I love you too" he smirked then watched as she rolled over so her back was to me and he reached down and tugged their blankets up over them and wrapped his arm around her waist leaving his hand just over her stomach where their child was steadily growing.


	55. The Talk

**The Talk**

* * *

Three weeks later Punk, AJ and Dani were moving into their new house that Punk was so cocky about getting. Dani was more excited then anyone else over the house and that alone pushed all of Punk's doubts about moving out of his mind.

"Where does this one go?" Dean asked picking up a box

"Read the name on the box" Punk said annoyed

"Why didn't the movers just put everything in the right room?" Dean grunted

"Because Punk doesn't strange people in his home" Dani responded as she sat on top of a box and ate a cookie

"Then _he_ should be moving all of this shit" Dean shot at her causing her to laugh

"Don't curse in front of my kid" Punk warned him

"Here this says your name" Dean said to Dani and she looked at him oddly

"I have plans" Dani shrugged

"Don't make her move stuff" Punk said to Dean

"She's just a kid" Mia agreed grabbing the box from him

"What about you?" he asked AJ

"She's pregnant" Mia scolded

"She doesn't look it" Dean said eyeing AJ oddly and she rolled her eyes

"I'm only three and a half of months" AJ defended

"Stop complaining and start moving" Punk said picking up a box himself

"What are your big plans anyway?" Dean asked Dani

"I'm going to a friends house" Dani said and AJ winked at her in approval

"Which friend?" Dean asked her

"What's with the third degree?" Dani asked him and Dean laughed

"I'm just wondering" Dean said amused

"Yea where are you going?" Punk asked her

"I'm going to Joey's" Dani said simply

"I thought you were mad at him?" Punk asked her

"I was but he asked me to go to the winter formal with him" Dani smiled happily "Isn't that great?"

"Did you know this?" Punk asked AJ

"Of course" AJ said to him

"And we're just letting her go off to his house?" Punk asked AJ in a serious voice

"Why not?" AJ asked

"Because he's a boy" Dean pointed out "A boy she's dating"

"She's not dating him" AJ said to them "Tell them Dani"

"I'm not" Dani said to them

"Are his parents going to be home?" Punk asked AJ

"Yea" AJ said to him "Even if they weren't we trust Dani, don't we?"

"Of course" Punk said shooting Dani a smile "I don't trust Joey"

"You don't know Joey" Dani frowned

"Exactly. How can I trust someone I don't know?" Punk asked her

"How can you not trust someone you don't know?" Dani challenged

"Oh shit" Dean snorted a laugh

"Easy" Punk responded "I mean you're not a little kid" he defended then looked to AJ "Right? I mean she's almost a teenager and this boy is the same age"

"He is 13 already" Dani said AJ looked away from Punk

"He's 13?" Punk asked her and she nodded "Really AJ?" he asked looking past Dani towards his wife

"Huh?" she asked looking over to him

"You were just going to drive her over to some older boys house?" Punk asked her "And why is he taking her to a formal?"

"It's middle school 6th, 7th and 8th grade are doing it the same night" AJ shrugged "Relax I've met Joey and his parents and they will be there today. They're taking Dani ice skating they're not going to be locked up in his room or anything"

"No one else finds this weird?" Punk asked looking around the room

"I do" Dean agreed

"I don't" Mia said to him "Because he's two years older it's a problem?"

"I'm going be 12 soon so he's really only a year and a half older" Dani pointed out "Also aren't you older than AJ?" she asked him

"Good point" Mia said smiling towards Dani

"Very good point actually" AJ agreed "Come on Dani" she said grabbing her keys

"Wait we're not discussing this?" Punk asked

"We just did" AJ said to him

"Yea" Dani said putting on her jacket

"No hanging out in his room" Punk said to Dani seriously "And I want to meet him before the dance and his parents" he said to AJ

"Ugh" Dani groaned

"It'll only get worse as you get older" Mia warned

"I mean it!" Punk shouted as Dani and AJ walked out the door

"You're going to have to have the talk with her" Mia said to Punk

"What talk?" Punk asked

"You know" Mia insisted

"No I don't" Punk said seriously "What is she talking about?" he asked Dean who just shrugged

"The birds and the bees" Mia said to him

"She's 11" Punk laughed

"Going on 12" Mia pointed out

"She probably already knows I mean she is 11" Dean pointed out

"I don't mean like where they come from" Mia said to them "She should be educated"

"Educated on what?" Punk asked her "She's 11" he reminded her

"Going on 12 and before you know it she's a teen" Mia said to them

"I'm not following" Punk said to her

"She's going to be going into high school eventually and kids today start having sex a lot younger then when we were growing up" Mia pointed out "Don't you want her to be educated? You want her to be safe and-"

"I don't want her doing anything" Punk said cutting her off "She's fucking 11 years old"

"Fine. Let her just go her entire life not knowing and then when she comes home pregnant one day you'll have yourself to blame" she said to him

"What the fuck is going on at Joey's house?" Dean asked Punk

"This isn't a joke" Mia said to them "When I was that age mom and dad sat me down and went over how to be safe and made it clear that I had choices and I didn't have to feel pressured into anything- I mean Dani is at a very impressionable age"

"Maybe Elliot and Jennifer could talk to her" Dean suggested to Punk

"It's your job" Mia said pointing at Punk "And if you act like that every time she hangs out with a boy she's going to rebel and lie to you"

"She doesn't lie to me" Punk scoffed "We have a full disclosure agreement in this house"

"When she's 16 and you act like that you're going to push her right into a boys arms" Mia warned

"Good point" Dean agreed

"You're very helpful" Punk shot at Dean

"Educate your daughter before someone else tries to and she doesn't learn the right thing" Mia said to him picking up a box then walking up the stairs.

* * *

When AJ had gotten home she walked into her new bedroom and saw Punk putting the sheets on the bed.

"Are you sure I can't help?" AJ asked leaning in the doorway

"No, feet up" he instructed

"Ok" she said walking over to the bed and laying across it before he could finish making it

"Wiseass" He smirked crawling over. "When is Dani coming home?"

"Joey's parents are going to drop her off in a few hours" AJ said to him

"So a few hours…" he trailed off running his hand under her t-shirt.

"Yup" she said to him "Which we should really be spending unpacking and getting situated"

"I'd like to get situated right here" he said to her with a cheeky grin

"You are so dirty" she giggled

"You think I should shower?" he teased "We can do that"

"I meant mentally" she laughed

"Our new shower is three times the size of our last one" Punk pointed out

"Yea I thought that would keep your hands off of me while I was in there" she smirked

"Oh if I'm in arms length of you ever, my hands will always be on you" Punk said surely and ran his hand over her barely there bump "How are you feeling?"

"Amazing" she said to him "I could do without the morning sickness but that means the baby is healthy so I'll deal"

"Do you want to wait to find out what we're having before we paint the nursery?" Punk asked her

"No" AJ said to him "We can do something neutral" she shrugged "Be honest you want a boy" she grinned

"I love you and Dani" he defended "You're my girls and nothing would make me happier then being more outnumbered then before but a boy would be nice" he admitted innocently

"I think it's a boy" she said placing her hand over stomach "So does Dani"

"Well I know better than to argue with you two on well, anything" he said seriously but AJ laughed "Mia said we should talk to Dani about you know…"

"Sex?" AJ asked and Punk rolled his eyes

"Yea" he said annoyed "Don't you think she's a little young?"

"There's nothing wrong with letting her know that there's a safe place for her here and she could talk to us and ask us questions about anything" AJ said to him "I think it's a good idea actually"

"Good so you'll handle this right?" Punk asked her

"No we can do it together" AJ said to him with a laugh

"I had a feeling you'd say that" he groaned rolling onto his back "I thought if I ever had a daughter I'd have years to worry about this sort of thing"

"You do" AJ said to him "She's still a kid but with the internet and media it's easy to get the wrong information and she's old enough to understand but still young enough to not act on anything"

"That's something we really have to stress" Punk said to her seriously "She's way too young to think about acting on anything ever"

"Not ever" AJ laughed "I was only a few years older then her when I-" she stopped realizing this story was about Daniel

"Do you ever think about that anymore?" Punk asked her

"No" she said to him "It's like he's two different people. But how small is this world? I ended up marrying my first's estranged brother"

"Very small" Punk agreed

"You still think about him a lot" she noted

"I do" Punk admitted "I just worry about you and Dani"

"I don't know why because you're clearly the target" AJ said to him "I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't think he meant to do what he did to me."

"I think he did" Punk said to her

"If he hadn't of taken me and then found out about Daniel would you have reached out to him?" AJ asked him

"No" Punk said to her without hesitation "I didn't like him before he took you. He was weird and I didn't like the history he had with you"

"It wasn't bad" AJ reminded him

"You were a kid" Punk reminded her "Not much older then Dani and he took advantage of you"

"No he did something I wanted" She reminded him

"He has a history of this AJ" Punk reminded her "You weren't the first foster sister he slept with and you weren't the last. He's a predator."

"Which is why it's important to talk to Dani" AJ said to him seriously "I don't want her to make the same mistakes I made."

"So we will" Punk said to her "But let's get serious now" he said looking at her "Take your pants off" he ordered and she smiled slowly

"You take them off" She said to him "I'm exhausted from the move" she teased

"Yea all of that hard labor you've done today must be exhausting" He mocked tugging down her sweatpants.

"I'm going to be in real labor in six months" she reminded him

"Isn't it a little early to throw that in my face?" he asked ridding her of her pants finally and tossing them onto the floor

"It's never too early" she said to him "You're going to have to speed this up so I can get to work"

"I thought we were taking the night off?" Punk asked her halting his movements

"You're taking the night off I'm going in" She said to him

"I don't know-" he started

"Roman will be there don't worry" she said to him "I need to get some work done and you've been picking up all the slack"

"I don't mind" Punk said got her

"No you stay here and wait for Dani to come home and I'll bring home the bacon" she said to him then her face suddenly got very serious

"What?" he asked

"I think I want bacon" she said seriously and he snorted a laugh and leaned down and kissed her

"I don't have bacon" he said nuzzling his nose against hers "I've got something better"

"Mhmm" She moaned contently "I don't know if it's better than bacon" she said and he stopped kissing her neck and looked over to her. She knew he didn't like the comment, Punk was very much the 'alpha male' and when it came to sex or his 'manhood' he didn't like any kind of jokes. She was very amused by his reaction and it only egged her on.

"Seriously?" he asked her and she just shrugged innocently and he climbed off of her and off the bed and removed his shirt and kicked off his shorts. "Come here" he said wiggling his finger beckoning for her. She sat up and onto her knees on the bed. "Take your shirt off" he instructed her and she did as she was told.

Punk tugged his boxers down and he was only partially erect but AJ was going to fix that for him. She licked her lips and placed the tip of her index finger inside of her mouth but he tugged it away.

"No, no" He smirked "Come on" he said gesturing to himself.

AJ sat on the edge of the bed while he stood and spread her legs slightly so he could step in-between them. AJ grabbed his hips and pulled him close and slowly took him into her mouth. AJ's hands moved behind him to his ass and squeezed him hard causing him to jerk into her mouth.

"Fuck" he grunted and that's when AJ really got to work on him. His hands pushed her hair out of her face so he could watch her suck him. It was unbelievably arousing for him. "Come on AJ" he said encouraging her to take him deeper. She quickly released him and gave him an un-amused look.

"Show me how you want" she said to him and he moved his hands to her head and guided her back to his now fully erect shaft. He tried to be gently but her mouth was like heaven to him.

"That's it" He groaned moving her head faster and she kept up with his fast pace. "Touch yourself" he told her "I know you want to" he said and she briefly caught his eye and then he watched her hand dip into her own panties. She moaned slightly which sent vibrations threw his body. He tightened his grip into her ear and stilled himself in her mouth as he poured into her. She took every last drip of him that he offered her.

Once Punk was done and AJ was satisfied she released him and looked up at him innocently. As Punk came down from his high he was ready to return the favor but she shook her head no and moved up the bed so she was laying in the center and continued to push her finger into herself and Punk watched intently. He felt like a moth drawn to the flame.

"Baby let me" Punk said crawling on to the bed and hovering over body "I know your body better then you do."

"Here" she said pulling her hand out and running her finger across his bottom him lip, he greedily accepted it and began to suck on it all the while not taking his eyes off of hers.

"I want more" he said letting her go and before she could respond he pushed her panties the side and inserted two fingers into her warm and waiting body.

"Oh" she yelped from the sudden invasion

"See?" he grinned knowing he was doing more for her then she was for herself.

"I don't want your fingers I want you" She pouted

"You love this" He smiled and she shook her head

"I want you right now" She said to him "Are you ready yet?" she asked him and he smirked

"I've been ready for the last thirty seconds" He laughed "I'm always hard when you're around" he said using his fingers harder to try to push her to the edge "Come on I'll give you what you want if you're a good girl and cum"

"You can't just make me-" she started but he moved his thumb over her clit now and she moaned loudly

"What was that?" he asked innocently "I can't make you what?" he asked her and that's when he felt her released around his fingers. "That's what I thought" he said arrogantly he smirked

"You win" she smiled satisfied as he released her and looked down at her, he decided to give her a few moments. "Actually I win" she said with her eyes closed but a big grin

"We both win" he smiled and leaned down to kiss her. He felt her move her leg over his shoulder and smiled. "Is this ok for the baby?" he asked her

"Yes Phil" she said annoyed "Go deep" she encouraged and he lined himself up at her entrance "I love you baby" she smiled

"I love you more" he said then entered her and kept her leg firmly over his shoulder causing her to arch so he'd hit her in just the right spot perfectly over and over again.

"Yes!" She screamed out loudly "That's so good"

"For me too" he said pushing her as far as he could go. "Say I'm better"

"You're better" she cried out grabbing the sheets and curling her fingers into them

"Better then bacon" he added hitting into her

"Oh god better then anything" she assured him then moaned loudly

"You're so fucking good" Punk said to her feeling himself start to hurl to into his own release.

Almost ten minutes later of hard thrusts they both released at the same exact time. Punk used to love crashing onto her body right after he finished but he had trained himself well to not do that. He dropped but to his hands so he was still hovering over her and not onto her body. He took a few seconds to catch his breath before carefully pulling out of her and rolling onto his back next to her.

"AJ" he said slightly alarmed looking at the bed sheet "You're bleeding" he frowned and sat right up

"Oh I'm spotting" She said to him

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to hurt you-" he started getting out of the bed and reaching for his clothes

"This happens during the first trimester during sex" she assured him "The doctor warned me about it and it's in all of the boxes. You're going to have wash the sheets though" she smirked getting out of the bed herself casually.

"I'm taking you to the hospital" Punk said to her "Get dressed'

"I'm not going to the hospital" She laughed "I feel good, great, satisfied" she grinned happily "I'm going to take a hot bath and then get ready to work, you'll clean this up right?" she asked him

"AJ this is serious" Punk argued as he followed her into the bathroom and watched as she turned on the water

"Phil it's fine" she giggled "I feel fine, read one of my many pregnancy books they all say the same thing. You didn't hurt me I swear" Punk was still clearly freaked out and she couldn't help but smile at her completely selfless husband. "I'm fine" she said to him again "Help me clean me off" she suggested grabbing his hand

"I'm not touching you until this baby is out" he said to her and she really laughed

"Oh please" she said still laughing "You're not hurting me and I need sex during pregnancy"

"You were bleeding" he argued  
"Spotting" she corrected as she turned off the water since the tub was full. He watched her step into the bath and moved forward. "Come on, help me wash me back" she smirked.

"I'm not going in" He said to her "I mean it AJ" he said to her then walked out of the bathroom.

"He'll crack" she said happily to herself.

* * *

AJ was behind her desk at work looking over everything Punk had done.

"I thought your club days were done" Seth Rollins smiled walking into her office

"Not by a long shot" AJ said to him "Why would you think that?"

"I heard you and Punk adopted a kid" Seth shrugged taking a seat across from her desk and placing his feet up on her desk.

"We did" AJ said to him "Which means us both being here isn't going to happen very often. So what can I do for you?"

"I was actually looking for Punk" Seth said to him "It's personal"

"I didn't realize you and Punk were such good friends" AJ teased

"We're not" Seth smirked "But I like you" he said giving her a wink

"How did I get so lucky?" she remarked sarcastically

"So seriously he's not coming in tonight?" Seth asked her

"No Seth he's not. What's so important?" AJ asked him

"His dad has been hanging around my place" Seth said to her with a shrug "Thought he'd like to know that"

"Elliot?" AJ asked

"No his real pops" Seth laughed "Arlo"

"I wonder why. I've only met him once but he doesn't seem like a club type" she noted

"He's asking around about Daniel" Seth said to her "I don't want that kind of trouble at my place" he said to her seriously "I kicked him out last night but he's a little thick headed I think he'll be back. Tell Punk to keep his criminal family out my place"

"Punk doesn't speak to Arlo" AJ said to him "And I don't think he has any intention of speaking to him anytime soon. Why is he asking for Daniel?"

"I talk to Arlo about as much as Punk does" Seth smirked

"Get out" Roman said stepping into AJ's office

"Shit" Seth laughed and looked behind him "We're having a business meeting"

"Do you want me to throw you out?" Roman asked

"It's ok Roman" AJ smiled

"I've got orders from Punk" Roman said to her "He's on the list"

"Well I feel important" Seth grinned getting out his seat "If I haven't said it before you can do better then Punk. You don't need a warden you need a man" he said leaning over her desk but then Roman grabbed him by the back of his neck

"I'm going, I'm going, I'm going" Seth said annoyed.

* * *

"This is the best pizza I have ever had" Dani said taking a bite out of her slice of pizza. Punk had taken her out to dinner since AJ was at work.

"It really is" Punk agreed "So how was your date?"

"It wasn't a date" Dani groaned "I'm eleven for crying out loud" she laughed

"You know if you have any questions about boys or anything you can ask me right?" Punk forced out

"Yea I know" Dani said to him "There's no one I trust more then you and AJ" she said taking a bite out of her pizza

"Good to know" Punk smiled slightly

"I like Joey" Dani told him honestly and Punk just nodded "And it's not just because he's older or really, really, really cute"

"Wow 3 really's. He must be dreamy" Punk teased

"I like him because when Kelly and her friends were picking on me he stood up for me" Dani told him

"You were getting picked on?" Punk asked concerned

"Everyone gets picked on" Dani shrugged "But Kelly and her friends really don't like me. They say I'm not a real girl"

"They sound really, really, really stupid" Punk said seriously causing Dani to giggle

"I could have taken care of myself but Joey is my friend and told the girls that" Dani said happily

"I'm sure you could have" Punk agreed "But it's always nice to have a friend in your corner. Also you have me in your corner always" he said to her

"I know" She said to him

"She's a little young for you, no?" a familiar voice caused Punk to look up from the booth he was sitting in across from Dani. It was Amy and she had a sarcastic smile on her face.

"You're a little old, no?" Dani responded before Punk could and he couldn't help but let out a laugh

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend Punk?" Amy asked eyeing Dani

"I wasn't planning on it" Punk said to her "But since you're here this is Dani"

"I'm his daughter" Dani said smugly sipping on her drink

"Daughter?" Amy asked with wide eyes "You're kidding right?" she asked looking at Punk

"That's right" Punk said smugly "And we're trying to enjoy our dinner here so you can move along"

"No AJ?" Amy asked him

"Why? You looking to get hit in the face again?" Punk questioned

"She was out of line the last time we saw each other" Amy said to him

"_You_ were out of line" Punk corrected "And I'm not discussing this here and now" he said nodding towards Dani

"I don't even recognize you anymore" Amy said eyeing him

"Yet you still come over whenever you see me" Punk remarked

"Can you go?" Dani asked bluntly "You're really killing my vibe"

"You're a rude little brat aren't you?" Amy asked her with a laugh and Punk jumped out of his seat and grabbed Amy by her arm and practically dragged her out of the pizzeria

"Don't fucking talk to her like that" Punk hissed "Don't come around me, stay away from AJ and move the fuck on" He warned then walked back inside.

Amy looked from the outside and watched as Punk joined his mystery daughter at the table and began to laugh. A single tear fell from her eye and she walked off.


	56. My Family

**My Family**

* * *

The next few days it felt like Punk and AJ kept missing each other. They were taking turns working and spending time with Dani all the while getting settled into their new home. Punk was also staying true to his word about no sex because he was still antsy over hurting her. But today AJ was going for a checkup and a sonogram but this time they were bringing Dani with them.

"What does it feel like?" Dani asked AJ as the doctor placed the gel over her stomach

"Cold" AJ smirked

"No I mean having a baby inside of you?" Dani asked in awe of it all "Are you ever afraid it's going to just fall out?"

"Doesn't work that way kid" Punk said ruffling her hair

"It feels really cool" AJ told her with a smile

"Are you ready?" The doctor asked and Dani nodded excitedly "There's the baby" she smiled pointing to the screen with one hand while her other one moved around AJ's tiny bump.

"He's tiny" Dani said looking at the screen closely

"He's got some more time to grow" The doctor smiled "But everything is right on track"

"And what's that noise?" Dani asked

"The baby's heartbeat" The doctor said to her

"So everything is good?" Punk asked the doctor

"Yes, the baby is right on target, mom is feeling good. Whatever she's doing make sure she keeps it up" The doctor said to him

"See" AJ said smugly to Punk

"I have a question" Punk said to the female doctor

"Sure" She smiled and then Punk realized Dani was still in the room

"Go ahead, I don't mind" Dani shrugged looking at the screen.

"My husband is afraid sex is going to hurt the baby" AJ said bluntly and Punk glared towards her

"There's a kid in the room" Punk said covering Dani's ears

"It's not going to hurt the baby" The doctor smiled

"I had mild spotting the last time we were intimate" AJ told the doctor

"That's common and nothing to worry about" The doctor assured them

"I can still hear everything" Dani said looking up at Punk

"Can you hang outside the door for a few minutes?" he asked her

"No the conversation is over" AJ said to him

"Sex is very healthy during pregnancy" The doctor told him and again he covered Dani's ears causing her to roll her eyes "Just don't be too rough and be careful. When something doesn't feel right to her make sure you listen to her"

"Can we do this without her in the room?" he asked looking down at Dani

"I think that covers it" The doctor smiled as she printed the picture "Here you go" she said passing AJ the photo.

"Can I see?" Dani asked pulling away from Punk

"You can keep it" AJ said passing her the photo "Just make sure you show Elliot and Jennifer because you know they're going to want to see it"

"Awesome!" Dani said holding the photo as if AJ had just passed her a hundred dollar bill

* * *

Punk was getting ready for work when AJ walked into the bedroom.

"So I heard Dani met Amy" AJ said to him. He had completely forgotten about his run in with her.

"She did" Punk said to her nodding "I took care of it"

"Must have bothered Dani" AJ said to him "We need to be careful about who we let Dani meet and hang around"

"Its not like I called Amy up and asked her to hang out with us" Punk smirked "She showed up at the pizza place and started running out her mouth. I took care of it"

"I know it's just I don't want the wrong element around her. She's at a very impressionable age" AJ said to him

"Yea I agree. I wouldn't want her around Amy or Seth" he said coolly

"Seth?" AJ asked

"Yea, Roman told me he found Seth in your office" Punk said to her "Forgot to mention that huh?"

"Crap" she said slapping her head "He was looking for you actually. He said Arlo had been to Tonic and was asking around for Daniel"

"You forgot to mention that?" Punk asked with a laugh

"Pregnancy brain" she shrugged innocently

"What else did he want?" Punk asked her

"That was pretty much it" she said to him "Roman literally threw him out"

"So before you go…" she trailed off reaching for his jeans and tugging him closer to her "Dani is with your parents…"

"I've really got to go" he said pulling away from her with an awkward smile

"You heard the doctor" AJ said stunned that he was turning down a quickie.

"Yea I heard her" Punk said with a nervous smile

"Phil I am pregnant and hormonal don't toy with me" she threatened "I will tie you up to the bed and keep you there all night if I have to"

"That sounds very tempting" He said giving it serious thought then shook it off "Never mind I have to go" he said grabbing his phone and slipping it into his pocket.

"Phil!" she scolded. He placed two fingers to his lips and then tapped AJ's lips with them.

"Gotta play it safe" he smirked then ran out the door.

* * *

Punk didn't go right over to the club, he took a detour to the building he knew Arlo was living in and against his better judgment got out of his car and climbed four flights of stairs and knocked on his apartment door.

"Well hot damn" Arlo laughed upon seeing Punk and stepped aside "I'm beyond curious to see you here"

"Yea well I heard you've been looking for your son I want to know if you found him yet" Punk said to him bluntly

"And if I did?" Arlo asked "You think I'm going to lead you right to him so you can off him before I can even meet him?"

"You have zero interest in your children, I'm living proof of that" Punk said to him "Don't waste my time where is he?" he demanded "I know he's somewhere in Chicago"

"I haven't heard a thing" Arlo said to him with a grin and Punk knew he was lying

"What do you want with him?" Punk asked him "Huh?" he asked egging Arlo on "You think you finally found a partner in crime?"

"I'm not a saint but I'm not a killer" Arlo pointed out taking a swig of his beer

"Tell me what you know" Punk demanded

"No" Arlo said casually

"What is it you want from him?" Punk asked him

"What do you want from him?" Arlo challenged

"I want him to pay for what he did to my wife" Punk said honestly "I want the threat of him gone from my life. I don't want to have to be afraid every time my daughter goes to school"

"I read about your adoption" Arlo said with a smile "Interesting. I never thought you'd be the father type but here you are with one on the way and one that doesn't even belong to you" he laughed

"How do you know about that?" Punk asked alarmed

"You're a Klein, people talk" Arlo shrugged "Don't worry about Daniel"

"That's easier to say then do" Punk said to him

"Can I meet her?" Arlo asked him

"Who?" Punk asked him confused

"The kid" Arlo said to him and Punk let out a loud laugh

"You're talking about Dani?" Punk asked still laughing

"Is that her name?" Arlo asked "Cute name for a girl"

"Over my dead body" Punk said to him "You're poison. I don't want you near her or my wife for that matter."

"I'm an old man now" Arlo laughed "I just want to know my family"

"They're not your family, they're _my_ family" Punk hissed "And you won't ever have any interaction with them as long as I'm still breathing"

"Ok" Arlo said simply

"If I find out you're helping Daniel in any way shape or form you're going back to prison" Punk warned him "And you won't ever get out I will see to it"

"Ok Phillip" Arlo grinned "Just enjoy your family"

"I plan on it" Punk said then walked out the door.

* * *

Punk was behind his desk not really working but looking up anything and everything about Daniel, his border line obsession had actually become one and being at work made it easy since he didn't have an office at home so his work office was the only place he could truly work on his search. Punk was now starting to think if he followed Arlo he'd lead him right to Daniel. He was actually banking on it. Time flew and he didn't realize it was close to one in the morning until his office door swung open.

"What are you doing here?" Punk asked the intruder

"How about hi wife? You look ravishing tonight and I'm sorry for not coming home for dinner like I promised" AJ teased closing and locking the door behind her.

"Hi wife, you look particularly ravishing tonight and did I forget to call and say I wouldn't make it home for dinner? I'm terribly sorry" he grinned

"That's better" AJ smirked playing with the belt on her trench coat

"Now I'll ask what are you doing here?" Punk asked her and leaned over his desk to see her legs were bare and she was sporting some awfully high heels. "Going dancing?" he teased

"If I wanted to I could" AJ reminded him "I'm pregnant not sick. Stop treating me like an infant"

"Did Roman bring you here?" Punk asked her

"Of course" AJ mocked with a sigh "But I sent him away since you're going to be taking me home"

"I have a ton of stuff to do here AJ" He said gesturing to his messy desk

"Like what?" AJ asked him curiously leaning to look over but Punk grabbed up his paperwork and stuffed into his desk. "Oh that will make less curious" she remarked sarcastically

"Seriously you should be at home resting" Punk said to her "The point of Dani being with my parents was so you can get some sleep"

"I did, I slept for like six hours" AJ said to him "I'll never sleep tonight and then I decided to dress up and wait for you to get home but you never came"

"Dressed up?" Punk asked and watched as she untied her black trench coat and opened it up to reveal the matching red lacie panties she had on. "That's not really dressed up…." He noted trying to not visibly drool.

"Well I've got heels on" She reminded him of her black pumps. She then fully removed the jacket and tossed it onto the chair and placed her hands on her hips. "Only a few more weeks that I can pull this off without being double my size" she said to him

"AJ-" he started

"Come on, I know you love to do it in your office" She teased

"This is all very tempting" He admitted eyeing her from head to toe.

"But?" she asked with a cocky grin knowing she had already won. A knock at the door didn't faze AJ in the slightest as her eyes remained on his.

"Go away!" Punk shouted shooting out of his chair and walking around his desk to AJ.

"I've been thinking about doing this all night" She whispered as he carefully placed his hands on her hips and looked down at her body "I'm already wet" she said even lower and took his earlobe into his mouth and began to play with it with her teeth.

"You really are the most stubborn woman on this planet" Punk groaned but started to move his hands around her body. "And I fucking love it" he admitted seriously causing her to grin. "Let me take you home and lay you in our bed and make to you properly"

"When did you become such a bore?" AJ snorted and he eyed her.

"I'm not a bore I just don't want to hurt you" he reminded her

"You heard the doctor. If it was too much I'd tell you and I know you'd stop" AJ said running her fingers down his face. "I won't make it home" she added

"What do you want?" he asked closing his eyes and letting her hands roam his body

"I want you inside of me" she whispered seductively "Not your fingers, not your tongue…" she trailed off until she reached the bulge in his pants and firmly gripped him causing him to moan slightly "Bend me over your desk and take me, you know how I like it" she smiled as he lips barely touched his.

"This is a dangerous little game you're playing" Punk warned opening his eyes slowly as she continued to grip him over his jeans

"You haven't seen dangerous yet" She said almost evilly "If you won't give me what I want I'll get from somewhere else"

"Very dangerous" he practically growled

"The doctor told me I have to give into all of my cravings" AJ reminded him sweetly

"Yes she did" Punk agreed. He leaned down and was about to kiss her but pulled his face away slowly. She was about to protest when he turned her around and she placed her hands on his desk. She had gotten exactly what she wanted.

AJ licked her lips with anticipation as she heard Punk's zipper and then the sound of his boxers being removed. She always knew how to play him and get what she wanted. She felt him pull down her panties then press into her.

"If it's too much you'll tell me?" Punk asked and he saw her nod

"Yes, just please hurry" she pleaded. Punk reared his hips back and too her from behind. She let out a gasp and gripped the table so she didn't fall forward from the hard motion. She was also still rocking her heels, which didn't make it easy.

"Like this?" he teased as he moved in and out of her body

"Yes Phil" she moaned "Just like that" she nodded furiously

Punk kept a vice grip on her hips as he controlled the pace using her body and keeping her in a safe position the entire time. AJ wasn't lying about needing him or being ready for hours because it was only a few rough thrusts until she had cum. But Punk still had a way to go but he decided to switch it up. He turned her around and lifted her onto the edge of his desk. AJ watched with drowsy eyes as he removed his shirt and then reached behind her to unclasp her bra and remove it, only leaving her in her black heels.

"This is every man's dreams" Punk said taking in the sight before him "A hot MIGTF butt naked, wet, legs wide open and ready to be pounded" he said cupping her breasts

"I think you meant MILF" she teased

"No" Punk said shaking his head "You're a mom I'm going to fuck" he clarified

"You're such a romantic" she teased

"Damn right I am baby" Punk said with an arrogant smile before placing his mouth over one of her nipples while his hand cupped and played with the other one.

"Feels so good" AJ said happily as her eyes rolled to the back of her head

"You haven't felt anything yet" he warned as his mouth briefly detached from her body to switch breasts. Just his words alone caused her to recover from her last orgasm.

"Stop playing with me" She warned him

"Oh it's not fun, huh?" he asked "You seem to be enjoying it" he said placing his finger at her slit and running it up the moist area. "Really enjoying it as a matter of fact"

"Its your voice" AJ admitted as she tried not to lose herself again

"I had no idea I was so powerful" Punk smirked prying his lips away from her

"Yes you did you arrogant jerk" She shot at him and he laughed. He grabbed himself and guided his shaft into her just by the tip. She tried to inch closer but Punk kept his hands on her hips so she couldn't move closer. "Why are you being so mean?" she sighed in a defeated voice

"Why are you running around at one in the morning in underwear and heels?" he asked back "Why are you threatening me with other men? You know no one could give it to you as good as I could" he said seriously

"I know baby, I'm so sorry" she said running her hands down his face

"You'll be a good little wife? When you're supposed to be resting you're going to keep your feet up like I ask?" he asked nipping at her lips

"I swear" She said feeling her heart race

"And no more other men jokes?" he asked her "I really hate those"

"I wasn't referring to another man because I know no one could love me like you do" She promised

"What was that?" Punk asked pretending he couldn't hear her

"No one in this world could make me cum like you do" She said very seriously and he's lips turned into a very slow and sinister grin.

"That's right and you better not forget it" He said grabbing her by the back of her neck then pushed into her roughly causing her to climax immediately so close after her last one. "You ok baby?" he teased knowing she was fine but speechless. She nodded.

"Put your legs around my waist" He ordered "I want to feel your heels digging into me" he said to her and she quickly lifted her legs and wrapped them around him

"You wanted me like that the first night we were together" She reminded him

"Not much has changed. You have amazing legs darling" he said running a hand down them as he buried as deep as he could be inside of her but didn't even seem to faze him until the pressure became too much for him to ignore.

Punk began a slow but still hard thrusts into his wife's body while the points of her heels dug into his ass. The harder he pushed the more she dug into him to egg him on. Her hands that were on the desk move to around his neck as she used him for balance and his hands moved from her hips to the desk so he could more freely into her until he finally reached his own release and she joined him for the third time tonight.

"Three in less then half a hour" Punk smirked kissing her cheek as she held onto him for dear life. "That's gotta be a record"

"I love you" was her response and he laughed

"I'm glad making you cum makes me you profess your love to me" He teased

"I love you even if you don't" AJ smiled happily and fully satisfied "But it does bring out a side in me"

"Come on get dressed" Punk said to her as he picked up his own clothing.

"All dressed" She said standing before him in just her bra and panties

"That's right" He said annoyed looking at her. He walked over to his door and pulled down his sweatshirt "At least put that on under your jacket" he said to her

"How very chivalrous" she teased slipping it on

"Don't you forget it" He said shooting her a wink

* * *

Punk was sitting in his chair glaring at the thirteen-year-old boy sitting across from him.

"So what are your intentions tonight?" Punk asked the clearly nervous boy.

"To go to the winter formal with Dani and dance" Joey said hoping that answer would satisfy the very intimidating man covered in tattoos. Tonight was the night of the big winter formal at school and as much as Punk protested no one listened to him, Dani was still going with her older gentleman friend.

"What kind of dancing?" Devon asked from the other chair. The entire family was there to see Dani off but the men were making Joey sweat slightly while the women were nothing but sweet and kind.

"Just dancing" He said looking to him

"There's different kinds of dancing" Dean added from the seat next to Joey "I work at a club so does Dani's dad over there" he said pointing to Punk "We know how you 'young' kids dance"

"Respectful dancing" Joey clarified and Punk nodded

"Do you do drugs Joey?" Punk asked bluntly

"No sir" Joey said to him

"Do you drink?" Devon asked

"I'm only 13" Joey reminded them

"So? Plenty of kids today just sneak into their parents liquor cabinet" Dean defended "Are you stupid? Did you not figure that out yet?"

"Answer him" Punk insisted

"My parents don't drink" Joey said to them "There's no alcohol at my home and I have no interest in it"

"Leave the boy alone" Jennifer scolded coming down the stairs "Dani is almost ready" she said to Joey

"Great" Joey said happily

"What are you so happy about?" Punk shot at him

"Phil" Jennifer hissed

"Roman over there" Punk said pointing to Roman who was waiting by the door "He's going to be driving you to the dance tonight, he's also going to be sitting outside in his car the entire dance. The dance ends at 9 sharp if you're not outside by 9:02 he's going to get you" he warned him

"I understand sir" Joey said to him trying to avoid his eyes

"You seem like a good kid" Punk relented starting to feel bad "And I know you've been a good friend to Dani just make sure it stays that way" he said to him "You and I won't have a problem then"

"Of course" Joey said to him

"Here she is" Mia said coming down the steps first followed by Dani who was wearing a pale pink strapless gown. Her hair was done perfectly and she looked beautiful.

"I have to get pictures hold on" AJ said coming down behind them and running for her digital camera.

"You look really pretty Dani" Joey said with a smile standing up and Dean rolled his eyes causing Mia to slap him upside his head "I got you this" he said holding out the corsage.

"It matches my dress" she said happily and held her wrist out so he could place it on her.

"It's so perfect" Mia agreed

"How cute is this?" AJ asked the group

"She looks beautiful" Punk smiled and Dani gave him a hug

"Were you nice?" she asked in a whisper

"Of course" He assured her with a smile

"Stand with Joey honey" AJ instructed holding her camera up

"You're still holding me" Dani whispered to Punk

"Right sorry" Punk said letting her go and watched as everyone took photos.

* * *

Later that night it was only eight but Punk kept texting Roman as he watched TV with AJ on the couch.

"She's fine" AJ laughed "And Joey is harmless"

"How do you know that's what we're talking about?" He asked her and she snatched his phone from his hand.

"Is it rowdy? Can you get a look inside?" AJ asked reading the texts to Roman "It's a middle school dance not her senior prom chill" she laughed passing him back his phone "And you better not embarrass her" she warned him "She'll never forgive you"

"Yea, yea" Punk grumbled

"Just watch the movie" she insisted curling into him slightly but the doorbell rang.

"Who the hell is that?" Punk asked himself as he stood up from the couch. AJ watched from the couch as Punk walked over to the door and didn't recognize the man standing outside. He slowly opened the door to reveal a short stubby man. "Yea?" Punk asked somewhat annoyed

"Sorry but are you Phil Brooks?" the man asked nervously

"Maybe" Punk said eyeing him "Depends on what you want"

"I'm looking for my daughter, Dani" he said to him and Punk felt his heart drop along with AJ's who was listening from the couch.


	57. Money's Worth

**Money's Worth**

* * *

The next morning Punk and AJ were up all night talking over their late night visit from Dani's biological father who seemingly cleaned up his act and requested to visit his daughter. Punk was ready to slam the door in his face but AJ graciously invited him and offered him coffee. She made a good point to Punk that Dani's adoption wasn't legally yet and if they pissed off her father that might encourage him to fight for Dani.

"So what do we do?" Punk asked from the kitchen table as he drank his fourth cup of coffee

"What we discussed with Jacob" who was Dani's father "We tell Dani he wants to see her and see how she feels about it"

"He's going to try to get her back" Punk said to her coldly "He has a legal right to her if what he's saying about cleaning up his life is true"

"It's not our choice Phil" AJ reminded him

"She's ours" Punk argued "We've been taking care of her we should get a say"

"She has a right to decide" AJ told him

"No she's a child she's not sure what she wants" Punk said bitterly sipping on his coffee

"You two are up super early" Dani noted "What's wrong?"

"Sit down Dani we have to talk to you" AJ said pulling out a chair for her

"Ok" she said unsurely "I know what this is about"

"You do?" Punk asked her

"Yea and I'm really sorry" Dani said to him "It was only one kiss and Joey didn't even use tongue!"

"No honey that's not it" AJ said with a light smile

"He fucking kissed you?" Punk demanded to know

"Phil let's stay on track here" AJ said looking at him

"Right sorry" Punk mumbled "It's not about that but we will be discussing it immediately after" he warned Dani

"So what's going on?" Dani asked the two

"Your dad came here last night" AJ told her

"Oh you mean…." Dani trailed off "Was he drunk?"

"No" Punk answered for AJ telling how hard this conversation was for her too "He seems like he cleaned himself up"

"That's good" Dani said to them "So is that it?"

"He wants to spend some time with you" Punk told her "How do you feel about that?"

"No" Dani said shaking her head "Never"

"Are you sure?" AJ asked sweetly

"Do you want me to?" Dani asked her "Are you two sick of me already?"

"No, never" he said firmly to her "You're old enough to make your own decisions and we want you to make this one"

"He's never cared before" Dani said to them "He's gotten clean for a few days before too. He's really mean." She said looking to Punk and his heart broke slightly

"Then you don't have to see him ever" Punk promised her "We just wanted you to know"

"Can he take me away from you?" Dani asked them

"Of course not" AJ said to her grabbing her hand

"We would never let that happen" Punk promised her

"But are you really sure you don't want to see him?" AJ asked "You don't have to do it alone"

"Absolutely not" Punk agreed "We'd be with you, keep you safe"

"He doesn't even like me" Dani told them "He probably just wants money or something"

"That's for us to worry about" Punk said to her "We're more worried about you and what you're feeling"

"I do have some questions for him" Dani admitted

"You do?" AJ asked curiously

"Yea in the foster house we have to speak to counselors sometimes and mine suggested that I write down everything I want to know just in case I ever saw him again" Dani said to them "But you won't let him hit me, right?" she asked looking at AJ then Punk.

"Never" Punk swore and Dani believed everything he said and nodded

"And if I agree to see him it doesn't mean I have to go home with him?" Dani needed clarification

"No you're home is here" AJ promised her "He could try though" and Dani's face looked terrified

"But again we'd take care of that" Punk added "It's just if we don' let you see him it could hurt our chances of legally adopting you"

"Then I'll do it" Dani said without hesitation

"Are you sure?" Punk asked her

"Yes" Dani said firmly "I should say a few things to him while he's sober enough to absorb them. I really don't want to go with him" she said to them "He knows he can't just take me, right?"

"Yes Phil made that very clear to him last night" AJ said looking over towards Punk

"You're our family Dani" Punk reminded her "You're not alone and you're not going anywhere"

"Ok" Dani said to them forcing a smile

* * *

"I warned you about this" Elliot said sitting at the kitchen table with Punk "This adoption should have been sped up"

"Do you think he's really making a play for her?" Punk asked "The guy used to hit her he can't get her, right?"

"I don't know. Family court is very funny sometimes" Elliot admitted "I'll make some calls. What if Dani sees him and wants to go with him? Did you think of that?"

"I would never hold Dani back from anything she wants" Punk said to him "But I also wouldn't hand her off to a violent man. Dani is very smart I trust her instincts and I know she's going to want to stay with us"

"Just to be safe you have to be on your best behavior" Elliot warned him "No running into bars with guns or burning down clubs" he warned him

"I've been very well behaved" Punk defended "How come you're not telling AJ this stuff?"

"Because AJ is very well behaved" Elliot shot at him "I'm going to pull as many favors as I can."

"If after Dani sees him and wants nothing to do with him I want to make sure we have something in place like a restraining order" Punk said to him "I'm not taking any chances with this"

"Let's just get threw the visit first" Elliot said to him "Which is when?" he asked him

"About an hour" Punk said to him "He's very eager to see his daughter who he hadn't acknowledged for years"

"Relax" Elliot warned him "You can not fly off the handle and give him leverage I don't care how upset you are and I can tell by the way your knee is jumping and your fists are clenched you're looking to rip his head off"

"I'm scared" Punk admitted

"You're six days away of making Dani legally your daughter" Elliot reminded him "I know you're scared but you've got to find this a little too coincidental"

"I'll pay him" Punk said to him "Whatever he wants"

"You have to approach this with some finesse" Elliot told him "Luckily for you I have that"

"I have finesse" Punk defended

"You have a lot of great qualities but finesse isn't one of them" Elliot smirked

"Hi Elliot" AJ said walking into the kitchen

"Hi dear" He smiled standing up and greeting her with a kiss on her cheek "How's my other grandchild doing?" he asked placing his hand over AJ's small bump

"He's worried" AJ admitted

"That's silly" Elliot smiled wide "Grandpa is here to help"

"We appreciate that" she smiled

"Where's Dani?" Punk asked her

"She's up in her room" AJ said to him "She's more upset then she's letting on"

"Maybe we should talk to her?" Punk asked

"Give her a few minutes to take this all in" Elliot suggested to them "It's a very big deal for her"

"I think she's scared" Punk said to him

"Me too" AJ agreed

"Well she has nothing to be afraid of" Elliot shrugged "She'll see that"

* * *

An hour later Jennifer had arrived at the house for moral support as well. They were sitting in the living room nervously.

"Relax" Elliot said placing his hand over Jennifer's shaking knee

"I can't help it" She whispered

"We should get Dani" AJ said to him

"Yea ok" Punk said to her and that's when the bell rang and everyone froze.

"I'll get it" AJ said opening the door to reveal Jacob who was wearing a suit. She was so hoping he wouldn't have showed up for this. "Jacob come in" AJ said stepping aside "This is my father and mother in-law" she introduced them and they shook hands

"Hey Phil" Jacob greeted but Punk just nodded

"We were just going to get Dani" AJ said then walked up the stairs with Punk following her.

Punk and AJ entered her room without knocked and it didn't take long for them to realize she had snuck out again.

"Oh fuck" Punk muttered

"She left again" AJ said checking the bathroom but she wasn't there either "He's going to report us for losing her!" she said to Punk

"Relax" Punk said to her "Where could she have gone?"

"I knew she wasn't handling this well" AJ cried "She's run off to hide from him and we just let him into our home! We shouldn't have agreed to this!"

"We did the right thing" Punk reasoned "She couldn't have gone far"

"She's been up her for over an hour she's probably long gone!" AJ argued

"Shh" Punk hissed closing the door "You made a good point about Jacob reporting us if she's gone"

"Oh my god" AJ said starting to cry more and he walked her over to the bed "What are we going to do?"

"I'll track her phone" Punk said simply pulling out his phone "I had it put on her phone after the last time" he waited a few minutes and saw where it was beeping "Son of a bitch" He muttered

"Where is she?" AJ asked him anxiously

"That idiot Joey's house" Punk said bitterly "I'll go get her"

"Maybe you should stay here and distract him you might do a better job at it" AJ suggested and Punk nodded

"Are you ok to drive?" Punk asked eyeing her

"Yea, it's fine" AJ said to him "We'll just play it cool and say she was at Joey's this whole time"

"Yea ok" Punk nodded and followed her out of Dani's room. Once they came down the stairs Dani was standing in the living room. "Shit" he muttered

"Do you lose my daughter often?" Jacob asked looking at the two

"They didn't lose me" Dani said quietly "I went to my friends house"

"It's ok" AJ said putting on a smile "We were just going to get you"

"You look wonderful sweetheart" Jacob smiled

"Please don't call me that" Dani requested looking at her feet and not her biological father. "Joey's parents drove me home" She said looking at Punk and AJ "But I left my phone there-"

"We'll get it later" Punk said to her

"Why did you leave?" Jacob asked her placing his hands on his hips

"Don't interrogate her" Punk warned him "It's not your place"

"Is she going to be punished for this?" Jacob asked Punk and AJ

"Last time they took away my comics" Dani said to him but again not looking at him

"This has happened before?" Jacob asked startled

"Sorry" Dani whispered to Punk and AJ holding back tears

"It's ok" AJ said walking over to her

"It's not ok" Jacob snapped starling AJ slightly

"Ok maybe we should do this at another time" Elliot intervened walking over to them "Dani seems a little upset"

"These good rich people take you in and this is how you thank them?" Jacob asked Dani ignoring Dani

"Don't" Punk warned walking towards him now and the air was getting very tense

"Or did you run away twice because you don't want to be here with them?" Jacob asked her but she still didn't look up at him. Jacob tugged her chin gently so she would look at him but Punk clasped his hand around Jacob's wrist.

"Don't fucking touch her" Punk warned

"Alright" Elliot said prying Punk's hand off of Jacob "I think this has been enough for today"

"I like it here" Dani said looking at her father finally "I actually love it here. I left because I didn't want to see you" she said honestly

"Why?" Jacob frowned

"You're mean" Dani said bluntly

"No I'm not" Jacob said shaking his head

"You hit mom" Dani reminded him "You hit me too. I don't get hit here." Jennifer held back tears as she listened to Dani. "Punk said hitting women is the worst thing a man could do. I guess that makes you the worst man"

"Dani don't spread lies like this" Jacob smiled lightly

"They're not lies" Dani said to him "You're not my father, Punk is" she said proudly "I don't want you to take me away"

"You're my daughter" Jacob reminded her

"No she's not" AJ said walking over to Dani and placing her arms around her shoulders "She's ours"

"You have a baby on the way" Jacob pointed out "You don't need the distraction of a ten year old girl"

"I'm eleven" Dani corrected

"Right" Jacob smiled

"She's not a distraction" AJ said firmly tightening her grip around Dani

"Ok" Elliot smiled to the group "I think maybe you and Jennifer should take Dani upstairs she seems upset" he suggested to AJ

"Wonderful idea" Jennifer said ushering the two away

"I didn't even get a chance to talk to her" Jacob said to Elliot to Punk

"Because she doesn't want to talk to you" Punk pointed out "You scare her"

"I've had my problems but I'm better" Jacob said to him

"You're full of shit" Punk spat at him

"I have rights to Dani" Jacob reminded him "Have fun trying to adopt her with my contesting it"

"You don't even know her age" Punk reminded him "You don't want Dani"

"You want money?" Elliot asked him

"How much?" Jacob asked Elliot and he smiled

"How did I know?" Elliot laughed

"How much is she worth to you?" Jacob asked them

"This is seriously about money?" Punk laughed "You have the best daughter in the world and you're willing to pass her up for a few bucks?"

"Times are rough" Jacob said looking at Punk

"What's the money for? Drugs? Booze?" Punk asked him

"It doesn't really matter now does it?" Elliot asked the two. "I'm sure we could provide enough money so Jacob could take his party out of Chicago?" he said looking at Jacob

"That depends on how much I get" Jacob said to him "Do you want me to go away quietly or not?"

"Yea" Punk said holding back anger

"Maybe we should talk in private?" Elliot suggested to Jacob "You can go check on Dani"

"I'm not leaving until he's gone" Punk said standing his ground

"One million" Jacob announced and Elliot corked a brow "Is Dani worth that to you two?" Before Punk could respond Elliot spoke up.

"Sure is" Elliot said casually walking over to the table and into Jennifer's purse where is checkbook was. "But you're not getting this check until I get written consent that you are relinquishing any rights you may or may not have of Dani" he said to him

"Sign that check and I'll sign anything you want" Jacob grinned

"I'll pay it" Punk said to Elliot

"No let me" Elliot smiled "My lawyer is expecting us" he said to him

"Oh really?" Jacob laughed

"Men like you are very predictable, I've dealt with things like this before believe it or not" Elliot said smugly

"Arlo?" Punk asked him. Did Arlo ever try to get him back? Did Elliot pay him off too?

"Are you ready?" Elliot asked Jacob ignoring Punk

"You're not going anywhere alone with this guy and your checkbook in your hand" Punk said to Elliot "I'll go too"

"Fine" Elliot agreed "I want you to see him sign the documents anyway"

AJ found Dani listening at the stop of the stairs as the front door closed and all three men were gone.

"He didn't even want me" Dani said sadly as AJ took a seat at the top of stairs next to her

"He's a fool" AJ said honestly

"He just wanted your money" Dani sniffled "And they're going to give him one million dollars" she said looking at AJ

"Don't worry about that sweetie" AJ assured her

"You can't just give that much money to somebody how will you live or provide for the new baby?" Dani asked and AJ smirked

"Trust me honey that's a lot of money but not for us" AJ said to her "And even if he wanted all of our money we'd give it. We'd live in a box outside on the street as long as it meant the four of us were together" she said placing her hand over her stomach

"Do you mean that?" Dani asked her

"Yes" AJ said without hesitation

"He'll leave me alone now, right?" Dani asked "No more problems?"

"Elliot and Phil will take care of everything" AJ said to her "They're good at that" she teased

"He didn't even answer my questions" She said pulling out her folded piece of paper that had a list of questions

"Sometimes things are better left unanswered" AJ said to her "If you were scared to see him Dani, why didn't you tell us? We never would have set up this meeting"

"I wanted to be brave like you" Dani said to her "You went to meet your family"

"It's different. But sometimes it's braver to speak up and say when you're afraid" AJ said to her "I never want to see you in that kind of position again"

"You guys protected me just like you promised" Dani said with a smile and threw her arms around AJ "Thank you"

* * *

When Punk arrived home AJ came flying down the stairs.

"What happened?" AJ asked him

"He signed an agreement, he won't be a problem" Punk assured her and AJ was relieved

"How much did it really cost?" AJ asked him

"Don't worry about it" He said to her "How's Dani?"

"She heard everything" AJ said to him and he sighed "She's pretty upset, Jennifer is talking to her"

"Good because I don't trust she's not going to sneak out her window again" Punk said to her "We really have to do something about that by the way"

"She can get a pass for today" AJ insisted "She was scared"

"Yea" Punk agreed "She gets a pass on the running off thing but not on the kissing at the dance"

"Leave it for today" AJ said to him "We should talk to her" he said to him

Jennifer left the room as Punk took a seat in Dani's chair and AJ took a seat on her bed.

"I'm sorry for running off" Dani said to them "I know you're mad about it"

"We are" Punk said to her "I thought we talked about this before?" he asked her

"We have" Dani whispered

"I know you were scared" Punk said to her seriously "We were scared too" he said to her "But we're a family and we don't run we stand up for each other"

"I know" Dani said quietly

"It's also really dangerous to run out" AJ reminded her

"Do you remember how mad I was at AJ when she drove off a few weeks ago?" Punk asked Dani and she nodded

"I was going to make you a chocolate cake as an apology" Dani said and Punk smiled at her

"I don't want a cake" He said to her "Well maybe I do but what I want more than that is a promise that you're going to stop taking off"

"It really scared us" AJ said to her

"And you know AJ can't be stressed out too much right?" Punk asked her and she nodded "It's important for her and the baby to stay relaxed"

"I really won't do it again" Dani promised looking at AJ "Or at least until after you have the baby" she said seriously then smiled "I'm kidding"

"Funny" Punk remarked un-amused by the joke

"Is he gone for good now?" Dani asked Punk

"Yea" Punk said to her

"Is that ok with you?" AJ asked Dani "We really want you to be honest with us about what you're feeling"

"I didn't want to go with him" Dani said to him "And he obviously didn't want me either but….never mind"

"But what?" Punk asked her "Talk to us" he insisted

"I wanted him to answer my questions" Dani said to him passing him the paper

"How about I hold onto this and if I see him again I'll ask him?" Punk suggested

"That'll work" Dani nodded

"So you're ok with this?" AJ asked "You're not just saying it because your dad didn't give you much of an option?"

"He's not my dad" Dani said "Punk is" She said shooting him a smile "And yes. This is where I want to be"

"In a few days we see the judge and it's official" Punk said to her

"Will I get your last name?" Dani asked them

"If you want it" AJ said to him

"I'd like that very much actually" Punk said to her "But it's up to you"

"Why didn't you change your name when Elliot and Jennifer adopted you?" Dani asked

"I didn't feel worthy of it" Punk told her honestly "If I could go back in time and change it I would have"

"I want to have your last name" Dani said to them "I don't want a reminder of what was"

"We can take care of it for you when we see the judge then" Punk said to her with a smile

"I really do love you two" Dani said to them "Thanks for taking me"

"Thank you for letting us" AJ said to her

"So I'm off the hook for running?" Dani asked Punk pouting her bottom lip

"This time" Punk said slowly "But I have to go get your phone. Speaking of you went to Joey's house?"

"He's my only friend" Dani shrugged

"Friends don't kiss friends" Punk pointed to her and AJ laughed

"I'd rather not discuss this with you" Dani said to Punk and his eyes widened

"Why the hell not?" He asked childishly

"You're a boy" Dani giggled

"Yea get out of here" AJ said to him

"Fine" Punk said standing up "But you are punished for the kissing that went on at the dance" He warned her "No kissing any boys until you're 21" he warned pointing at her

"Oh get out of here" AJ laughed throwing a pillow at him

"I mean it" He said pointing at Dani then AJ "This is me putting my foot down" he said pointing to his foot and both girls looked confused

"Oh that's scary" AJ noted and he glared at her

"The foot is down" He reminded her "No boys" he repeated "And I still want my cake" he said to them

"Make your own cake" AJ laughed and Dani giggled at there playful banter

"I was promised cake" Punk argued as he opened the door

"I'll make you a cake" Jennifer added as she passed the room with some laundry

"Thank you" Punk said happily to her "See?" he said looking at them

"We need to talk" AJ said with a laugh to him "Close the door on your way out"

"Fine if I want to know about the kiss I'll just go over to Joey's and pick up your phone and ask him about it myself" Punk said smugly

"Not if you want that cake" Jennifer added as she passed again

"Damn" Punk muttered then walked out of the room.

He heard the two laughing and smiled at the fact that both his girls were happy. This was a nice kind of peace he could get used to.

* * *

Punk was in the living room waiting for the Hawks game to come home when he heard feet paddling down the stairs. He looked over and saw Dani decked out in her Hawks jersey.

"Can I watch with you?" Dani asked

"You don't even have to ask" Punk said nodding for her to join him on the couch

"AJ fell asleep in my bed" Dani said to him and he smirked "I think the baby makes her tired"

"I think so too" Punk agreed "I'll get her out of there soon"

"Thank you for keeping me" Dani said to him

"You don't have to thank me for that" Punk said to her

"Ok" Dani smiled as the game began

"Does Joey like hockey?" Punk asked casually as he kept his eyes on the TV

"No" Dani said simply "He likes football" she told him and Punk rolled his eyes

"You could do better" Punk said to her watching the game

"He told me that I should come home because you would never let anything happen to me. You'd keep me no matter what" Dani said to him

"Ok so he's smarter then I thought" Punk muttered folding his arms "So what was your big plan? Were you going to run away with your little boyfriend?"

"No" Dani giggled "I was going to live in his tree house until Jacob forget about me. I wouldn't have stayed away"

"That's good to know" Punk smirked

"Did Jennifer make that cake?" Dani asked

"Yea she did" Punk said looking over to Dani "You know AJ's rule about junk before dinner"

"She's sleeping" Dani whispered

"That is true" Punk agreed "She'll know we ate it when she sees two pieces missing" he pointed out

"We'll tell her Jennifer took two pieces home for her and Elliot" Dani suggested

"Brilliant" Punk said standing up. "If we get caught I'm blaming you though"

"Chicken" Dani mumbled following behind him


	58. Down The Road

**Down The Road**

* * *

**_9 months later_**

"Dani you have to hurry!" AJ shouted with a three-month-old infant on her hip.

"I am!" Dani shouted from the top of the stairs

"You're going to be late!" AJ yelled from the bottom of the stairs

"No I won't!" She yelled back as Punk chuckled walking down the stairs.

Once Punk reached the bottom of the stairs he gave AJ a kiss on the lips and kissed the top of the head of his new baby who was being all kinds of fussy this morning.

"I told you to sleep in" AJ said to him. Punk had been working at the club while AJ was on maternity leave and his nights were late.

"Who could sleep in this house?" he teased "I'll take Dani to school"

"Not necessary" Dani said skipping down the stairs. She was now 12 and in 7th grade.

"Oh no? You're going to walk today?" Punk asked her seriously "You know the rules" Daniel was still out there which meant Dani didn't walk to or from school alone- ever.

"I won't be alone" Dani said to him "Joey is going to walk me"

"Doesn't Joey go to a completely different school?" Punk asked her "Aren't there girls his own age there?" he asked annoyed

"He has to pass my school first" Dani shrugged

"You're ok with this?" Punk asked AJ

"We can't keep her under lock and key forever" AJ reminded him in a whisper

"Sure I can" Punk whispered back "I'll take Joey to school too" he offered

"You scare him" Dani frowned "He walked me yesterday" she argued

"It's been helpful" AJ said trying to get the baby in her arms comfortable

"Straight to school" Punk warned Dani and she smiled and agreed "Not gallivanting around the City"

"Of course" Dani said to him

"And no kissing" he warned her as well "I will hunt Joey down and run him over with my car"

"Phil" AJ scolded

"Tell him I said exactly that" Punk said to Dani who just rolled her eyes and walked over to the baby and kissed it's head sweetly.

"Bye baby" Dani smiled "Bye" She said giving AJ a kiss then Punk

"Keep your phone on too!" Punk yelled as she walked out the door

"Since you're up you want to feed you son?" AJ asked hopefully and Punk took the boy with ease from her arms "I need to take a shower so bad"

"Yea go ahead" Punk said as the baby stopped crying in his arms

"Of course" AJ mumbled "You know why he doesn't cry in your arms right?"

"Why?" Punk asked happily bouncing the baby around

"Because after I was in labor for 12 hours the doctor placed him in your arms and not mine" AJ shot at him

"You held him" Punk defended

"For like half a second then they cleaned him up and put him in your waiting arms" AJ said bitterly

"You have to let that go" Punk said to her "Where's his bottle"

"Warming up" AJ said to him "Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked him "I have baby spit in my hair"

"Please, go shower" He said disgusted "Take a nap afterwards" he offered and AJ almost fell over

"Seriously?" she asked him "You're going to feed him, burp him, change him and put him down for a nap?"

"Yea why not?" Punk asked simply

"Because you've never done that" she smirked

"Sure I have" Punk said to her

"You've changed him a total of three times since he's been home" AJ pointed out

"It will be four today" Punk said proudly but AJ still eyed him carefully "What? I can do it? You let Dani do it" he reminded her

"Dani's really good at all of this" AJ admitted

"I'm his father" Punk announced proudly "I can do anything you and Dani can do"

"Sure ok" AJ said to him "But I'll be right upstairs" she assured him

"I've got this" Punk said with ease "The kid loves me"

"Yea I can see that" AJ said slightly annoyed walking to the stairs.

"See that Jake?" Punk asked his son pointing to AJ "When she gets crabby like that she needs to sleep"

Punk had finally gotten Jake down for his nape and prayed that he didn't wake up anytime soon causing him to wake AJ who had been out like a light as well. It wasn't the easiest task he had ever done but AJ would kill him if he said it wasn't too bad. When the doorbell rang Punk cringed waiting for the sounds of Jake's cries but thankfully that didn't happen.

"You're up?" Jennifer asked surprised walking in

"Yea I'm up" Punk said annoyed "I have a family"

"I've been coming over for the last three months every weekday to help AJ and spend time with Jake and haven't seen you once" Jennifer said to him

"Really?" Punk asked surprised

"Of course it's a lot to have two children and a huge home to run on your own" Jennifer said to him

"She's not on her own I put Jake down for a nap all by myself" Punk said to her

"One day since he's been home?" Jennifer mocked

"AJ hasn't complained she knows I work nights and I have to sleep in during the day" Punk said to her

"She's exhausted your poor wife" Jennifer sighed "And sure it's easy when Dani is at school and Jake is tired enough to sleep. But imagine trying to help Dani with homework while feeding a newborn and both children require constant attention and a very needy husband on top of that"

"Why are you picking me?" Punk asked surprised

"Because you need to look into a new career path" Jennifer said to him "And do you think AJ isn't up all night as well? Elliot will get you something 9-5 in the office and media related if you'd like"

"I'm not leaving my club" Punk scoffed "AJ would hate that too. Has she said something to you about this?"

"No but I feel terrible for her" Jennifer admitted "I mean your poor wife is on her feet almost 24hours of the day"

"She's sleeping now" Punk defended

"How about you let her go to work one night" Jennifer suggested "See how easy it is for her? Also she'd probably enjoy being away for the evening"

"She's on maternity leave" Punk said to her "She can't go back to work"

"She owns that club as well" Jennifer reminded him "Elliot acted the same way when I had Devon and his mother had the same talk with him that I'm having with you. You're priority is your family not your silly club"

"I know what my priorities are" Punk said to her

"I think you're actually working more then you did before AJ had Jake" Jennifer said to him "I know it's overwhelming-"

"I'm keeping a roof over my families head and food on table" Punk said to her

"And missing a night or two would take it all away?" Jennifer asked "Man up son, I didn't raise a chicken" she then guided past him

"You don't have to stay" Punk said following her down the hall and into the kitchen

"Are you going to finish the laundry and clean the kitchen?" Jennifer asked him

"Sure" Punk shrugged "I can do all of that"

"That's ok" Jennifer laughed

"What do you want me to do?" Punk asked her

"Do what I told you to do" Jennifer said to him

* * *

AJ came to a couple of hours later and she felt amazing. Normally she'd get an hour here or there but she was able to actually sleep until her body woke up, not when Jake did.

"Good you're up" Punk said walking into the room "I've got lunch for you downstairs"

"Really?" AJ asked sitting up and scratching her head "Where's Jake?"

"He's playing with Jennifer" Punk said to her "Feeling better?"

"Yea I feel fine" AJ said unsurely

"So I've been thinking if you want to go back to work you could" Punk said to her

"Really?" AJ asked with wide eyes

"I mean we can do a night here or there" Punk said to her

"And who will stay with the kids?" AJ asked him

"Me" Punk said to her

"You'd do that?" AJ asked

"Yea" Punk said to her "You've been working your perfect ass off and maybe getting a night back at work will ironically give you a night off" he smirked

"You're not messing with me?" she asked him seriously

"No" he laughed

"It's not that I don't love being home with the kids" AJ said to him and he just smiled at how excited she was

"I get it" Punk smiled

"You're amazing" AJ said grabbing his face and kissing him and pulling him down on top of her.

"I know" He smirked and kissed her again, he abruptly pulled away from her kisses and looked down at her "Is this ok? Can we?"

"Yes" she said to him "we could have a few weeks ago-"

"And you didn't alert me right away?" he asked seriously and she laughed

"Just shut up and hurry" AJ said to him with a laugh as she moved her hands over his jeans while he ripped her shirt off of her.

"Your breasts have gotten so fucking big" he said with a smile

"When will we get an opportunity like this again?" She asked him seriously "Dani is going to be home half an hour, Jake is going to have to eat-" Punk covered his mouth with hers.

"Oh god, I've been waiting to do this for months" Punk admitted as he tugged down her sleeping shorts and palmed her. AJ grabbed his hand and gave him dangerous eyes

"I can do this myself" AJ reminded him "Come on" she encouraged tugging down his jeans and he helped her pull them down. "You missed me too" she said happily running her hand over him

"Yes, yes I have" he admitted shamelessly as he let her play with him. He began to kiss her neck and push his lower half into her hand

"We need a condom" she moaned slightly

"What?" Punk asked pulling away from her

"I didn't start back on the pill yet I forgot" she reminded him

"I don't have condoms" Punk said to her seriously

"Why not?" she asked him

"Because I'm married" he said simply and she rolled her eyes at the excuse. "We'll be careful" he insisted "I'll pull out"

"Are you sure you will?" she asked him "You never pull out" she reminded him

"I can't go to the store right now" Punk said to her and then looked over at the time "We really don't have the time either" he said nodding towards the alarm clock "What are the chance you'll get pregnant again anyway? 5%?"

"We got pregnant on a 5% chance" AJ reminded him "We have to wait"

"But-" He started desperately and looked down at his shaft twitching in AJ's firm grip

"I'll finish you off you big baby" she mocked

"I want to be in you" he argued "I want to fuck you so hard" he said sadly causing AJ to grow even more wet. "You love it hard" he reminded her sweetly "And I can give it to you" he said kissing her lips and he knew she had lost her will to fight him. "You want that?" he asked pulling away briefly and then kissed her again

"Yes" she said giving into him completely that's when the door swung open

"AJ, Jake really-" Jennifer started but screamed in horror upon seeing her son naked from the waist down about to have sex with his wife. She quickly ran out the door and slammed the door shut.

"Oh my god" AJ said placing her hands over her face

"Ok we really don't have much time-" Punk started but AJ pushed him off of her

"Are you crazy?" AJ laughed reaching for her shorts and t-shirt "Your mom just walked in on us!"

"It's not the first time she's walked in on me" Punk admitted and AJ glared at him "Come on" he said slapping the bed

"No I've got to feed your son" AJ said to him straightening out her hair "And help Dani with her homework when she gets home"

"I'll do that" Punk said to her

"You produce breast milk?" AJ teased "That's very helpful thank you"

"The homework I can help with" Punk clarified

"Since you're home if you could clean up the pool I'd really appreciate that" AJ smiled

"Yea I can do that I guess" Punk groaned "But I'm going to need a few minutes" he said to her

"Take ten" she smirked

"It's a lot easier for you to walk out of here!" Punk yelled after her as she walked out of the bedroom

* * *

It had only been two days but Punk had been beyond helpful and it was a great relief to AJ. She actually managed to wear clothes other then sweats today, braving a pair of tight jeans and a loose thin white sweater. She was also able to get some writing down at night since Punk had been home with her the last two nights. She really owed him one and she planned on repaying him in full. And tonight she was excited because she'd be going to work tonight while Punk held down the fort.

"Can you check this for me?" Dani asked passing AJ her math homework

"Actually your dad is going to look that over for you" AJ said to her

"Why?" Dani asked confused

"I'm going to work tonight" AJ said to him

"And you're leaving him here with us?" Dani asked her

"I heard that" Punk said walking into the room "Let me see that" he said snatching the math sheet from her

"He'll be fine. He's been practicing" AJ teased to Dani

"It's easy" Punk said with a laugh "Dani takes care of herself"

"I have a bake sale tomorrow" Dani said to him "We're raising money for new computers"

"Oh I forgot to mention that" AJ said looking at Punk "But all you have to do is read the back of the box"

"I can bake" Punk said briefly looking up from Dani's homework

"I wish you would have let me just call Jennifer" AJ sighed "She'd bake for Dani"

"No I don't need my mother here running my home for me" Punk said to them "I can throw some crap in a bowl and toss it into the oven"

"Oh boy" Dani mumbled

"Also Jake needs a bath tonight" AJ said to him

"I'll put some cupcakes in the oven, have Jake in a bath and I have a little helper" he said looking towards Dani

"Sure" Dani forced out

"Dani has a big test tomorrow she needs to study" AJ told him

"A test in what?" Punk asked

"Spanish" She said to him "Mom has been quizzing me all week"

"Well your mom is Puerto Rican so that's not really fair" Punk said to Dani

"I wasn't born in Puerto Rico" AJ reminded him "I have cue cards in the office you can use"

"I took Spanish in school myself" Punk said lightly "Easy" he shrugged looking back down at Dani's homework

"So she needs to study and no phone or internet until she's done" AJ said to him

"Done" Punk said simply

"So she also can't help you" AJ said to him

"Wait so I have to bake all of that shit myself and it's for her?" Punk asked seriously

"What's more important?" AJ asked him "Studying or icing a cake?"

"Yea?" Dani added shooting Punk a look as well

"Studying" Punk said with a nervous laugh "Obviously"

"So bath, Spanish test, baking, feeding and changing Jake and if you could finish folding the laundry would be lovely" AJ smiled giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll do it all" Punk said proudly "I'll be fine"

"If you need me you just have to call me" AJ said to him "I won't be far away"

"I won't be calling" Punk said smugly

"Don't say anything you'll regret later" Dani suggested

"Good call" AJ smiled Dani

"I've got this, go to work and have fun" Punk said to her "Roman will be picking you up in any minute"

"Roman? I thought we were passed this" AJ smiled

"Nope" Punk said then passed Dani her paper back "Three and eight are wrong" he said to her "He'll be there all night with you as a matter of fact and he'll be taking you home as well"

"Fine" AJ said to him

"And if you need any help tonight you can just call me" Punk said to her and Dani let out a laugh "What? She's been out of work for a while"

"I think I'll figure it all out" AJ laughed as well. "I'm going to kiss Jake goodbye" She said

"Oh no" Punk said stopping her as Dani corrected her math sheet "You might wake him"

"I've never been away from him" AJ frowned "I have to say goodbye" she defended

"AJ he's fine and he won't even know you're gone" Punk said to her "If you go in there and wake him he'll cry when you leave and never calm down"

"You're right" AJ said to him "I can kiss you goodbye" She said to Dani giving her a kiss on the cheek "You'll look out for your brother right?" she whispered to Dani

"Of course" Dani whispered back

"I can hear it all" Punk said annoyed "Do I get a kiss goodbye or can we not do that either?" he mocked

"Yes you big baby" She mocked leaning over and kissing his lips. "Good luck"

"Luck is for losers" Punk reminded her

* * *

AJ was back in her office and was right back into the swing of things. As she looked over the stuff she had missed the last few weeks she couldn't help but look over to Pun's desk. She knew he was keeping stuff in there from the last time she visited him at work and she knew it wasn't work related. She stood up and sat behind his desk and went to open his top desk drawer but it was locked.

"Of course" She mumbled trying to shake the drawer open. She looked around the top of the desk for they key but Punk was smart and if it was locked, it was locked for a reason and he wouldn't just leave the key lying around. It was probably hanging off of his own key ring.

AJ reached for the letter open on top of the desk and tried to pry it open that way.

"Come on, come on" she begged tried to get it open

"Ok" a voice said starling her causing her to look up "Oh you weren't speaking to me?" the man laughed

"Can I help you?" AJ asked the stranger

"Not unless you're Phil Brooks" the man in a suit said to her

"I'm his wife" AJ said giving him her full attention

"That's nice" the man replied coolly looking around the office

"Look if you don't want to tell me why you want to see my husband that's fine" AJ said to him "But don't snoop around his office" she warned "You can leave on your own or I can have my security detail throw you out"

"I'm not snooping" he grinned. "Unlike what your husband has been doing"

"What's that supposed to mean?" AJ asked the strange man

"I don't think you'd even know, or you wouldn't be trying to break into his desk" the man replied coolly

"Actually this is my desk because I own this club as well" AJ said to him

"I know all about you Mrs. Brooks" the man said taking a seat across from the desk he was almost too relaxed while doing so. "Foster life, your friend passing away tragically, adopting a child, having one of your own a few months back. You're very interesting"

"If that's what you want to call it" AJ remarked "What's your name?"

"Finn Balor" the man introduced

"And what do you want with my husband?" AJ asked

"Nothing" Finn said honestly "I'm curious as to what he wants from my boss"

"What makes you think he wants something from your boss?" AJ asked him

"He's been sending someone around our building" Finn told her "The big Samoan guy I passed on my way in to be exact. And then it got really weird because his father started coming by"

"Elliot?" AJ asked surprised

"Arlo Brooks" Finn corrected "They're looking for someone I'm assuming the same someone"

"Daniel" AJ said softly

"That would be my assumption" Finn said to her

"Who is your boss?" AJ asked

"That's not important" Finn said brushing off the question "My problem is the fact that your husband is bringing a lot of unwanted attention to our business. Next it will be cops showing up and I can't have that" he grinned slowly "Mr. McMahon doesn't like unwanted attention"

"McMahon" AJ said to herself and it hit her, she's read that name in the paper many times over the years. "You're a mobster"

"That's a stereotype" Finn smiled "Because I wear a nice suit and make a lot of money"

"Right" AJ said with a sarcastic smile "You must be hiding something such as Daniel. That's the only way he's been able to stay in hiding in Chicago"

"I don't know who that man is personally but I have seen his picture on the TV" Finn said to her "Make sure you tell your husband that. Also if he doesn't call off his guard dog and old man I'm going to start poking around his business…or his wife" he added with a wink and stood up. He adjusted his tie in the mirror as AJ reached over to her phone. "Don't call security because a fight broke out downstairs and everyone is preoccupied"

"Are you going to hurt me?" AJ asked him "Because I will warn you I have taken self defense classes and I will kick your ass" the man laughed at her

"I don't touch women like that" Finn laughed "I don't know what you're used to but my boss and myself have the utmost respect for women."

"You just hide cowards who don't?" AJ asked the man sharply

"I work for a coffee importer" Finn smiled at her "Not a mobster. Don't believe everything you read. Please pass the message along to your husband who I know is a reasonable business man." He said sliding a card over the desk to AJ "And if he has any questions or concerns I'm sure we can work something out with him" the man then walked out of the office as AJ picked up the card and looked at it.

* * *

Punk had given Jake his bath, put the cupcakes in the oven and was now helping Dani study for her Spanish test.

"I don't know how to pronounce any of these words" Punk said as he pushed Jake in his swing to keep him soothed and happy at the same time

"I need to practice dad" Dani whined

"Yea I know" Punk said annoyed and that's when they both smelt something funny coming from Jake.

"I think Jake needs to be changed" Dani said holding her nose

"How could you tell?" he mocked picking Dani up and noticed he had gone threw his clothing "Oh fuck" he muttered

"He's going to need a bath" Dani informed her father

"I just gave him one!" Punk defended "How many more fucking baths am I going to have to give him?"

"You have to put two dollars in the swear jar" Dani said still holding her nose

"You want to help me out here?" Punk asked Dani holding Jake at arms lengths "Yea you would be smiling" he said glaring at his three month old son

"I really don't feel well" Dani confided

"Convenient timing" Punk remarked

"I mean it, my stomach really hurts" Dani said holding her stomach "It's getting worse" she said to him. Punk could tell just by her face that she wasn't lying.

"Hold on" Punk said trying to hold Jake with one arm without getting messy himself. He walked over to her and placed his palm over her forehead. "You don't feel warm but you are looking pale"

"I'm ok I have to study" Dani said to him

"No you have to go upstairs and lay down for a little" Punk said to her "If you're not feeling well you're not going to school tomorrow"

"Can you please change him?" Dani asked

"Yea, yea" Punk said "Just lay on the couch at least" he instructed Dani

"I want to call mom" Dani said to him

"No, no she's at work she's only been there a few hours let's try to make this work" Punk said to her as he walked to the stairs. "I'll be right back down" he said to her and she nodded and crawled onto the couch.

Punk was upstairs giving Jake a very quick bath and drying him up.

"Let's see if I can get this on properly this time" Punk said bitterly as he put the diaper on his son. "You need to make this a little easy on me kid" he insisted to his son who clearly didn't care what Punk was saying. Just as Punk was putting a onsie on him he heard the fire alarm go off.

"Dad!" Dani screamed from downstairs and Punk quickly scooped Jake up and raced down the stairs where Dani was waiting. "It's coming from the oven" she said pointing

"Fucking cupcakes" Punk said bitterly and opened the front door to let some of the smoke out. "Here, can you take him?"

"Yea" Dani said taking Jake from Punk.

Punk took out the burnt cupcakes and tossed them into the sink and opened up the windows to let the smoke out. He walked back out and took Jake from Dani.

"All fixed" Punk said to her

"What am I supposed to bring to the bake sale tomorrow?" Dani asked then cringed in pain

"You're not going to a bake sale tomorrow if you're not feeling better" Punk said to her and that's when Jake started to cry in his arms. Punk looked at him then back to Dani who raced up the stairs and he rolled his eyes. His phone also started ringing at that moment and he hoped it wasn't AJ. "Come on buddy it's ok" Punk said trying to sooth Jake as he walked over to his phone and was actually startled to see it was Roman calling. "Roman? What's wrong?" Punk asked him as Jake cried in the background "You're going to have to speak up Roman" He said referring to his crying son.

"I need mom!" Dani screamed from the top of the stairs

"No speak up who was there?" Punk asked trying to here Roman "Who the fuck is that?" he asked Roman as he spoke into the phone "What did he want?…." he asked trying to concentrate on his son, daughter and phone conversation. "Wait a sec" he said to Roman "Why are you crying?" he asked Dani "What's wrong?"

"I need mom!" She yelled again

"I'll help you" Punk assured her as Jake cried in his other ear

"Ugh!" she screamed and stomped up the stairs and slammed the door

"Roman put her on the phone" Punk said to him "Hey honey" he said overly sweet "I really need you to come home…..yes AJ I'll tell you everything….I almost burnt the house down, Dani and Jake are both crying. I think Dani is sick but she won't fucking talk to me and your son keeps shitting and pissing on me" he informed her.

* * *

AJ was back at the house in less then twenty minutes. AJ walked right over to Punk who was holding her crying son but he stopped her.

"He's being fussy but Dani needs you first" Punk said pointing to upstairs "She won't come out of her bathroom"

"What's wrong?" AJ asked concerned taking off her jacket and quickly walking to the stairs

"She said her stomach hurt but she doesn't have a fever or anything" Punk said anxiously and watched as AJ raced up the stairs.

AJ was upstairs for almost half an hour and Punk paced back and forth with Jake resting on his shoulder, which clearly he enjoyed since he stopped crying and actually fell asleep. Punk would stop when ever so often and look up the stairs to see if either AJ or Dani were coming down but it was very quiet up there. He continued pacing until AJ finally reemerged.

"He's sleeping?" AJ asked surprised with a smile

"Yea what about Dani?" Punk asked her

"Oh she'll be fine" AJ said brushing it off and smiling towards her sleeping son

"She's sick" Punk said to her

"She became a woman" AJ said to him and Punk looked at her oddly

"What's that supposed to mean?" Punk asked confused and AJ glared at him "Oh!" he said loudly "Yea I couldn't help with that" he admitted "Is she ok?"

"She's ok, I got her comfortable" AJ said to him "But she didn't study for her test and you ruined her cupcakes so I think we'll keep her home tomorrow"

"Can't I just pay for the new computers myself? There won't be a need for a bake sale now" Punk said proudly, why hadn't he thought of that before?

"I suppose" AJ said to him "Put him in the crib before he wakes up and I'll clean up the kitchen" she said to him and he nodded.

"I have to take a shower after that I smell like baby crap" Punk said to her

"I want to talk about Finn Balor and the McMahon's" AJ warned him

"Yea fine whatever you want" Punk said to her "After I shower"

The steaming hot water ran over his body and Punk was exhausted. He knew he was going to have a lot to explain to AJ including his investigation on Daniel that led him straight to the McMahon family. He had decided to enjoy the shower for as long as possible and hoped AJ would just want to go to bed and he wouldn't have deal with this until the morning. But when he heard the shower door open he knew AJ had him cornered. He didn't even turn around but felt AJ wrap her arms around his waist and felt her breasts press into his back.

"You're superwoman" Punk admitted

"Not so easy huh?" she teased

"Nope" Punk agreed "But I just have to practice"

"I know you'll get it down" AJ smiled against his skin and left a kiss between his shoulder blades.

"What happened tonight?" he asked turning around to face her and watched as the water ran down her body "He didn't threaten you did he?"

"No" AJ said to him "He was strangely polite" she said to him "You're messing with some dangerous people"

"I tracked Arlo to them and I know Arlo had been looking for Daniel" Punk admitted

"Why aren't you giving the police this information?" AJ asked him

"If I start sending cops to the McMahon's compound I'm dead" Punk said to her and she frowned "But now I'm more sure then ever that Daniel's using the rest of his savings to remain under their protection. Also the more digging I did I know that Daniel's father had been in business with Vince years ago"

"So it all fits" AJ said to him "You should tell Steve"

"I don't want the cops involved AJ" Punk said to her "I want to handle this Daniel thing"

"You want to kill him" AJ said to him "You're not that man"

"I didn't say that" Punk said to her "I'll give him over to the police….eventually"

"Phil" AJ warned

"Roman said he left a card" Punk said to her

"I don't want you involved with men like that" AJ said to him "We have two children" she reminded him

"I just want to see the card" Punk said to her "I know what I'm doing"

"Do you?" AJ asked him

"Do you trust me?" Punk asked back

"You know I do" AJ said to him "But I know how you get when you get protective-"

"It's not just about what he did to you" Punk said to her "This guy is my blood and he's out for me. He's been out for me for years" he reminded her "And as you pointed out I have two kids now. I need to look out for my family. I can't let him strike first again because there's too many way for him to do so. It was easier when I just had you because I kept you close but now we have Dani and Jake and we barely get time together as it is and I can't always be around"

"Do what you have to do, I trust you" AJ said surprising him "But don't be stupid Phil. And remember you're not invincible also you have to be honest with me and keep me informed"

"I will" he said half heartedly

"Ok" she smiled then ran her hands down his wet chest until she reached his prized possession. "I started my pill again-" she started but before she could finish Punk had her turned around and pinned against the wall.

AJ's chest was against the cool tile, her palms flat against it and her legs were spread as if she was about to be searched by the police. Before she could say a word Punk was inside of her.

"That's it" Punk said relieved "I've fucking missed this"

"Swear jar" AJ laughed lightly then felt him push into her again roughly "Oh!"

"I hate that fucking jar" Punk hissed into her ear and began to pound into her repeatedly.

AJ tried to claw at the tiles in the shower but it was too slippery and was just adding noise to the already loud love making session. Punk moved one hand to her front and cupped one of her breasts tightly as his other hand remained at her hip. AJ came only a few minutes in and Punk pulled out of her and turned her around.

"Missed me?" he teased

"So fucking much" she said with a smile grabbing his face and kissing him. She felt his want poke into her stomach and smiled into his kiss knowing this wasn't over yet.

"Swear jar" he mocked and she pinched his arm in return. Punk lowered himself slightly and when he rose back up he entered her as well.

"Yes!" AJ cried out as one of her legs wrapped around his bare body as she tried to press him closer.

As Punk pushed into her body roughly it caused her to rise in the shower slightly and slid up and down the wall.

"So perfect" Punk groaned into her neck as he began to suck over her pulse point and bite lightly into the flesh. "You're so amazing"

"Harder Phil" AJ instructed and he bite down hard into her skin causing her to cry out in a mix of pleasure and pain "That's not what I meant" she said amused

"You meant this?" he asked as he thrust into her as hard as he could, not holding back like he had been since she had gotten pregnant.

"Yes Phil just like that" she cried as her nails dug into his shoulders and she could see a little blood.

"Like this baby?" he mocked driving into her and she couldn't even speak now, just moaned loudly. "You're going to wake the children" he warned her

"Then hurry up" she urged

"Oh baby I'd go all night if I could" he said honestly "I'd never leave your perfect tight little body"

"Please, I'm so close" AJ begged and he moved his hand off of her breast and over to her clit and began to massage to push her into her second orgasm which he did successfully. As soon as she clenched around him he poured into her as well and her body milked his.

"So worth the wait" Punk said AJ slowly unwrapped her body from his.

"Yes" AJ smiled as Punk helped keep her on her feet.

* * *

As soon as Punk and AJ stepped out of the shower they helped dry each other off and headed to bed.

"As soon as you walk in everything is quiet" Punk said to her as he slipped on his boxers and sleeping pants.

"It won't last" AJ warned "And I still want to talk more about this McMahon thing. Does Elliot know you're doing this?"

"No" Punk said to her "I don't need to run to my parents every time I need help with my family"

"I think maybe you should-" AJ started but a knock at their door and it opening slowly stopped the conversation

"Mom I need you" Dani said poking her head inside

"Ok" AJ smiled

"You ok?" Punk asked her

"I just need mom" Dani said quickly then walked away

"It's a girl thing don't take it personally" AJ said to him as she put on her slippers and that's when Jake started to cry

"He's up again?" Punk asked stunned "Does he ever fucking sleep?" Punk's reaction caused AJ to let out a laugh

"You'll get him while I tend to Dani?" AJ asked him

"Yea I mean I guess sleep will have to wait" He remarked sadly looking at the bed then walked out the door

"Welcome to my job the last three months" AJ said to him "And I don't even get paid for it" she teased following him out


	59. Sweet Dreams

**Sweet Dreams**

* * *

Punk was sitting in a coffee shop right in the heart of the City. It was empty and was a front for the McMahon crime family. Punk had called Finn Balor the day after he dropped by his office and spoke to AJ.

"Mr. Brooks" the man Punk assumed to be Finn Balor appeared. He took a seat across from Punk at the small circular table.

"That's right" Punk said looking up at him "You're Finn?"

"That's correct" Finn said adjusting his tie "I'm happy your wife gave you my message"

"Yes she did" Punk said reaming cool in his seat

"I hope I didn't cause any issues she seemed surprised by the news of you looking into Mr. Bryan" Finn said to him

"I don't like to bring him up around her for obvious reasons" Punk remarked and he nodded

"I can understand that" Finn nodded as an employee placed a cup of coffee in front of Finn

"So you can also understand why hiding Daniel Bryan from me is a problem" Punk said to him and Finn nodded

"What are your intentions with Daniel Bryan?" Finn asked him

"What are yours?" Punk asked back forcefully

"I don't know anything about him" Finn replied innocently "He's a wanted fugitive and by obligation to the law I'd have to report seeing him"

"I'm not working with the cops" Punk told him bluntly "Whatever money he's paying you I'll double it"

"I'm sure you could do better then that" Finn smirked at him sipping his coffee "But again I have to ask what your intentions are"

"What does it matter to you?" Punk asked him

"Because if you're planning on turning him over to the authorities he might be too willing to make a deal to lessen his punishment"

"You think he'll rat on your boss to cover his own ass?" Punk asked him

"If hypothetically speaking we had him then yes that is a fear" Finn noted "Are you prepared to silence this man for good?"

"Are you asking me if I'm motivated enough to kill the man that abducted and tortured my wife and also killed a friend then yes I am" Punk said rather coldly

"He's not just a man" Finn reminded him "He's your brother"

"No he's not" Punk told him cruelly

"He is" Finn said firmly "You and Daniel are the product of Arlo Brooks"

"I'm not worried about my connection to Daniel I'm worried about my wife and children" Punk told him

"Do you think they're in danger if Mr. Bryan was truly under the protection of Mr. McMahon?" Finn questioned

"I don't trust anyone" Punk said bluntly "Not you, not your boss and certainly not Daniel Bryan"

"Has Mr. Bryan given you any trouble lately?" Finn asked leaning back in his chair

"He hadn't given me any trouble for over twenty years and he showed up out of nowhere and turned my world upside down" Punk reminded him "My stomach turns every morning my daughter walks to school, every time my son cries I sweat thinking he's in his room trying to take him away and I still don't feel good letting my wife go anywhere without me"

"I understand the fear" Finn said to him "So does Mr. McMahon"

"Doesn't your boss have a connection to Daniel?" Punk asked him

"Money talks" Finn said to him simply

"I've got a lot of it" Punk said almost smugly and Finn just nodded

"I'll speak to the boss" Finn said to him

"That's it?" Punk asked as Finn stood up

"Mr. McMahon didn't get where he is today by being stupid" Finn informed him "I'll be in touch"

"Ok" Punk said as Finn started to walk away "Balor" he called out and Finn turned around to look at him "I'd appreciate you contacting me directly and not approaching my wife about this or anything ever again" he said coolly and Finn smiled

"I wasn't expecting her that night at the club" Finn admitted "I apologize if I upset her"

"It was me you upset" Punk said to him "This is between us"

"The less she knows is for the best" Finn agreed and then walked back over to the table "What happens if you do kill your own brother, you won't be able to buy yourself out of this. What will become of your beautiful wife and children? Are you willing to give them up for revenge?"

"Everything I do is for them" Punk said to him

"We can take care of your issue with Daniel" Finn offered "If the price is right and I'm sure for you money isn't a problem"

"It's my problem" Punk said to him "I want to handle it"

"Going away to prison for 25 plus years is going to be rough on your family that you're claiming you want to protect. Would you be ok with a new man playing daddy to your children?" Finn asked him coolly

"That won't happen" Punk said to him

"It's a very real possibility and trust me I've seen many men go away and when they get out their kids are all grown and their strangers and their wives, well they're wives to other men now" Finn said to him

"You're a business man not my spirit guide" Punk retorted

"I'm just trying to help you out" Finn said to him

"You could help me by giving me an address" Punk said to him

"Like I said, I'll be in touch" Finn grinned

* * *

AJ had taken Dani and Jake out for lunch on this Saturday afternoon since they had been cooped in all week.

"I can't believe he's not crying" Dani noted, Jake was not a fan of going out to eat but they were at a local burger joint and Jake was doing well.

"Do not jinx it" AJ warned Dani who giggled

"Where is dad anyway?" Dani asked eating a fry

"He had a business meeting" AJ said looking over to Jake

"On a Saturday?" Dani asked oddly

"Yes on a Saturday" AJ said to her "What's wrong?"

"It's just we usually all have lunch together on Saturday's its our thing" Dani pointed out

"We'll do dinner tonight" AJ said to her

"Well this a picture perfect moment" a man said with a smile

"Hello Seth" AJ said with half a smile

"You must be Dani" Seth said reaching to shake her hand

"That's right" Dani said pulling her hand away "And you are?"

"My name is Seth" Seth said to her with a smile "And that's baby Jake" he said looking over to him

"You know an awful lot" AJ noted eyeing him

"Word travels even though I don't believe you carried a baby for nine months because you look way too good" Seth said to her and Dani rolled her eyes

"First time you ever met you told me I was weird" AJ reminded him

"I was caught off guard" Seth smiled and shrugged "You really do look exquisite" he said to her

"She's married" Dani informed him and AJ let out a laugh

"He knows that honey. He's just being a trouble maker" AJ said to her daughter "Am I wrong?" she asked Seth

"That is true" Seth smiled "I'm opening a new club"

"Let me guess it's along the same theme as The Cellar?" AJ asked him

"Maybe" Seth said to her "How much money would I have to pay you to come aboard and manage it?"

"Why would I live a club I own to manage yours?" AJ asked with a laugh

"Better company" Seth shrugged and again Dani rolled her eyes "And a chance to do something on your own"

"I like the family business" AJ smiled at him smugly

"It's a family business because she's married to the other owner" Dani said to him "Punk"

"Yea I'm familiar with him" Seth smirked at her then looked over to AJ again "It was great seeing you and I do expect to see you at the opening of my new place"

"Do I get a plus one?" AJ teased

"You're my plus one" Seth smirked "Nice meeting you kid" he said to Dani then walked out of the diner

"Do you like him or something?" Dani asked her

"Of course not" AJ said to her "He's someone who only talks to me to piss off your dad"

"He has stupid hair" Dani said to her

"Yes he does" AJ agreed with a smiled

Punk looked into the window of the diner where his family was eating and took in the moment. Maybe Finn Balor had point, he could lose his entire family if he took the wrong step. Was it really worth it? But did he have a choice? He walked inside the diner and saw Dani's face light up.

"He's here!" Dani cheered

"Hi" AJ said surprised to see him he leaned down and kissed her lips and then slid into the booth next to Dani "What are you doing here?"

"I'm hungry" Punk said grabbing a menu "Mind waiting for me to order and eat before you run out?"

"Of course not" AJ said to him trying to get a read off of him

"A man asked mom out on a date" Dani said out of nowhere to Punk

"What?" Punk laughed

"Yea he was ugly too" Dani said scrunching up her face "He had two different hair colors!"

"Is she talking about Seth?" Punk asked AJ

"He dropped by the table and invited me to his club opening" AJ admitted "You didn't mention he was opening a new place"

"Because it's pointless it will be shut down in three months" Punk said to her "He asked you to go?"

"He asked her to be his plus one" Dani tattled

"Oh really?" Punk laughed looking at Dani

"And he said she was exquisite" Dani mocked rolling her eyes "How lame is that?"

"Very lame" Punk agreed then looked towards AJ

"I didn't say I'd go" AJ defended "And he's not wrong, I look great for having a baby only a few months ago" she teased

"You never didn't look good" Punk said seriously

"I wouldn't dream of going without you on my arm" AJ smiled lovingly at him

"I know" he smiled then looked down at the menu

* * *

_Punk walked into the investors room of the prison when he saw her, or at least he thought it was her. Her hair was much shorter and she was wearing a lot of makeup. It wasn't like her but she still was the most beautiful woman in the room._

_"Hi" Punk said unsurely taking a seat at the table across from her. She smiled lightly at him in his orange jumpsuit. "It's been a couple of months, I was starting to think you weren't ever coming back"_

_"I'm sorry" AJ said to him nervously "I've been busy with the kids and the clubs. It's just been a lot for me to do on my own"_

_"Speak to Devon or Elliot they'll help you" Punk said to her_

_"They can't stop what they're doing to take care of me and my family"_

_"We're all family" Punk reminded her_

_"I've decided to sell the clubs" AJ told him surprising him "I actually decided to do it a few months back"_

_"Oh" Punk said to her "They're yours and it's your decision but maybe selling them is extreme? You can hire managers-"_

_"They won't be shut down" AJ assured him "I just sold them and the new owner wants to keep them open"_

_"I don't care about the clubs" Punk said to her "How are Dani and Jake?"_

_"Dani has her senior prom" AJ said to him and he smiled "Her dress is beautiful and then a few weeks later its her high school graduation"_

_"That's great" Punk smiled "Where is she going?"_

_"What do you mean?" AJ asked_

_"For college?" Punk asked her "She is going, isn't she?"_

_"She couldn't get into any good schools" AJ said to him_

_"Why the hell not? She's brilliant" Punk asked_

_"You know how her grades fell after you went away. She was so closed off." AJ said to him "You abandoned her when you promised you wouldn't"_

_"She doesn't even answer when I call anymore" Punk remarked "So what is she going to do?"_

_"She's going to work at one of the clubs full-time" AJ said almost proudly and Punk couldn't believe she was ok with this_

_"No fucking way" Punk said to her "My daughter isn't going to work at fucking club. If she doesn't want to go to school- fine. But she can get a job with Elliot, I won't have her being pawed at a club all night"_

_"It's done Phil" AJ said to him with a shrug "She'll like it there. Besides she's in good hands"_

_"You sold the club and have no say there anymore and you sent her off to work there unprotected?" Punk asked angrily_

_"I thought you killed Daniel so we would always be protected?" AJ asked coldly "Wasn't that the point of all of this? You killed off one problem but didn't bother to consider we'd have even bigger problems"_

_"What kind of problems?" Punk asked her "You have money, you have support-"_

_"We didn't have you" AJ said cutting him off "Jake doesn't even know who you are" she said to him and that stung "I'm actually grateful for that because at least he doesn't feel the pain that Dani and I feel"_

_"How is he?" Punk asked quietly_

_"He's five" AJ laughed softly "He's a happy kid. Loves football"_

_"Weird" Punk said to her "You have a picture of them?" he asked her hopefully_

_"No Phil" AJ said to him "I'm not just here for a random visit I have something to tell you"_

_"More then my daughter doesn't want to go to school and my son doesn't know me?" Punk asked_

_"I came about the clubs" AJ said to him trying to sound strong_

_"I don't give a shit about them" Punk said to her_

_"I sold them to Seth" AJ said_

_"I figured you might" Punk said to her "It's your choice"_

_"I'm also with him" AJ said to him and that surprised him_

_"What?" Punk asked her_

_"Yea" AJ said to him not even smiling "We've been together for almost a year. He loves Dani and Jake like they're his own. Jake even calls him daddy"_

_"No" Punk said shaking his head "Hell fucking no"_

_"He's wonderful" AJ said smiling now "He helps me with everything around the house, he runs four clubs and spends more time with me then you ever did, he's protected us and he's a wonderful lover"_

_"Holy shit" Punk said rubbing his temple "I think I'm going to be sick"_

_"I want to marry him" AJ said to him and he looked at her_

_"Don't" Punk said shaking his head_

_"Why wouldn't I?" AJ asked him "You're in here for life I can't wait forever"_

_"You said you would" Punk reminded her_

_"And how is that fair for me?" AJ asked hurtfully "For the first time in five years I feel alive again, happy-"_

_"He's a fucking creep" Punk warned her_

_"He's the only man who will talk to me" AJ said to him "I know you find it hard to believe but I lack friends since my husband brutally murdered his own brother"_

_"I did that for you" Punk shot at him_

_"You did it for yourself" AJ shot right back at him "Don't you dare blame me. I begged you not to do anything stupid. We fought so hard for our family and you threw it away! Not me!"_

_"You're throwing it away right now" Punk argued_

_"You're in here forever" AJ said with a bitter laugh "I need to move on"_

_"With him?" Punk asked disgusted "Really?"_

_"He makes me happy" AJ said to him then pushed her seat back slightly and Punk saw her bump "He's also giving me a child. Do you remember when the doctors told us we couldn't have a baby? How impossible it would be? Not only did I get blessed with Jake but I'm going to be blessed with Seth Jr. It's a boy, we found out yesterday" she grinned running her hand over her stomach_

_"Holy fuck" He muttered stunned_

_"Do you remember where I went the night I found out I couldn't have kids?" she asked_

_"You went to Tonic" Punk mumbled as he began to sweat_

_"I think that was a sign that I've just always been drawn to him" AJ said with a laugh_

_"How could you do this to me?" Punk asked her as he felt his chest tighten_

_"You did this" AJ said as if nothing major was happening "You killed Daniel, you got caught, you went to prison and you left us. Seth filled a void and he's done a wonderful job. I even think Dani has a crush on him" she teased but he looked away from her as his arm started to heart "She is eighteen now" AJ causally rambled off and Punk glared at her_

_"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Punk asked her harshly_

_"Well let's just say that if I wasn't marrying him I think him and Dani would make a cute couple" AJ giggled_

_"Are you fucking high?" he asked_

_"Just a little" She laughed leaning over the table_

_"What happened to you?" Punk asked disgusted "You're not the woman I met and married"_

_"No, that woman is locked up in here with you somewhere" AJ said to him honestly "You didn't just kill Daniel you killed our family"_

_"I still have a fucking say" Punk said to her "I'll have Jake and Dani living with my family by the end of my day" he threatened "And Seth will be fucking dead just like Daniel"_

_"Classic Phil" AJ laughed "When the going gets tough, kill someone"_

_"I mean it" Punk said to her_

_"You're powerless" AJ reminded him then looked at her watch "I have to go" she said standing up_

_"I'm not done talking" Punk said pointing to her chair demanding she sit back down_

_"Have a good time and don't worry, even though I'm marrying Seth he doesn't mind if I fill your account every month so you can buy stuff in here" AJ smiled "You don't have to worry about us anymore. We're in excellent hands"_

* * *

"AJ!" Punk yelled

"What?" AJ asked rolling over and yawning "What's wrong?"

"Oh thank god" he said looking over and seeing her worried fae

"Are you ok?" she asked propping herself up on her elbows

"I had the worst fucking dream" he said running his hands over his face

"Want to tell me about it?" AJ asked him tiredly

"I was in prison and you were marrying Seth and pregnant with his child" Punk said to her

"It was just a dream" AJ said laying back down

"Dani was working at the club and not going to school and Jake didn't know me" Punk said looking up at the ceiling

"That would never happen" AJ said to him as she yawned "Get some sleep honey"

"I can't" Punk said to her

"Maybe it's your subconscious telling you that 'paying' for Daniel is a bad idea" AJ suggested "You're going to get in trouble with the law and you'll be gone forever. You know it's a bad idea and the Seth thing is only because we were talking about him earlier today"

"Even though it was a dream it felt so real" Punk said rolling onto his side so his stomach was pressed into her back

"Leave this Daniel thing be" AJ said to him

"I can't just walk away knowing he's so close" Punk said to her

"You can't pay for him either because you'd either have to kill him or pass him over to the police" AJ said to him "Passing him off to the police will get you killed."

"I don't know what to do" Punk admitted

"Leave it alone" AJ insisted grabbing his arm so he wrapped it around her "We need you here with us. Do you want your dream to become a reality?"

"That's not even funny" Punk warned her

"Don't worry if you went away to prison I wouldn't marry Seth he's not my type" AJ teased

"Oh really?" He asked amused "And who is?"

"Maybe I'd marry Roman" AJ shrugged "Or Devon"

"You're really funny tonight" Punk remarked

"Or maybe I could be John Cena's second wife" AJ suggested

"You're my wife, now and always" He warned in her ear

"So you're going to late this Daniel thing go?" AJ asked hopefully

"I don't know about that but I'm not going to kill him" Punk said to her

"You're not capable of killing anyone" AJ said with a faint smile "You're too good of a man"

"All I have to do is close my eyes and remember finding you that night" Punk said to her "This things I'm capable of doing…"

"I know you're capable of loving me" AJ said to him "You'd do anything for me, give your life for me, give up your freedom, sell your soul"

"Yes I would" He said tightening his grip around her

"I'd do it all for you too" AJ said to him

AJ wasn't sure how it happened but she wasn't complaining, in the midst of talking and profession their love for each other randomly Punk began to make love to her. With her back pressed into his chest he heaved in and out of her body from body while she clutched the sheets. They both had gotten really good at remaining quiet and with both Dani and Jake down the hall they had to be or they'd never get to be intimate. AJ had to bite onto her pillow while Punk moved painfully slow into her. This wasn't sex, it was lovemaking and when they both climaxed they couldn't bare to part their bodies. They fell asleep with him still inside of her and his arms protectively wrapped around her.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Also enjoy Wrestlemania everybody &amp; just heads up I have a super busy week so I won't be around as much, be patient with me :)**


	60. Outbid

**Outbid**

* * *

"Let me come with you" AJ insisted for the hundredth time. Jennifer was home with Dani and Jake so both Punk and AJ could work tonight and he was going to meet Finn Balor and pass on his offer for Daniel Bryan.

"No AJ" He groaned "I don't want you anymore involved in this"

"What if they get mad that you know they have him and don't trust you won't go to the police?" AJ asked him

"I am going to the police" Punk informed her

"What?" AJ asked with wide eyes "Balor and the McMahon's will kill you!"

"I can't let Daniel get away with not only what he did to you but Celeste as well" Punk said to her

"Trust me Phil Celeste will rest easier knowing you're not dead and our children still have a father" AJ said to him "No way! Just let him go about his life"

"I can't do that" Punk said to her "I've thought about it a lot"

"Phil leave it!" AJ yelled "Just give this up already"

"What kind of father would I be if I chickened out and didn't do the right thing here? I'd be a hypocrite after I preach to Dani to be honest and smart" Punk pointed out

"You'd be an alive father" AJ said seriously "Trust me she won't know"

"I know what I'm doing" Punk said to her "I'm going to tell Balor to keep Daniel then after I'm back here I'll call Steve and tell him. He'll keep my name out of it"

"They'll know it was you" AJ insisted "They'll kill you" she said slowly

"That won't happen" Punk said putting on his jacket

"Let me go with you" AJ said grabbing he own jacket "I think that Finn guy likes me"

"Yea me too" Punk said bitterly and took her jacket out of her hands and tossed it on the chair "You stay here"

"Please" AJ pleaded

"It's fine" He laughed putting his hands on her shoulders "Nothing bad will happen"

"So why can't I go then?" she challenged looking him directly in the eyes

"Because this is between me and him" Punk replied "I'll be back in half an hour"

"Stay!" AJ yelled as he walked towards the door

"It's ok" Punk laughed then walked out the door and AJ chased after him

"I want to have sex!" AJ yelled causing him to stop before he reached the steps.

"Hello my name is Brody" a man in the VIP greeted and began to walk towards her only to be stopped by Roman

"Get him out of here" Punk said to Roman who pulled the man down the stairs

"Phil please" AJ begged holding back tears "Stay with me. We'll have sex on your desk" she promised

"I was planning on having sex with you on my desk tonight" Punk said thinking about it "But it's going to have to wait until I get back" he then kissed her lips gently and grabbed her chin with his fingers "It's going to be ok" he promised then walked down the stairs.

* * *

Punk went to the same coffee shop he met Finn at last week and saw he was already sitting there reading the paper and sipping on a coffee.

"You're late" Finn noted as Punk took the seat across from him

"I was with my wife" Punk said to him and he nodded

"I'd be late too" Finn grinned as he folded the paper and put it down

"Anyway" Punk said annoyed "I don't want him" he said to Finn and he seemed surprised "I can't risk going to prison, I'm a father and a husband"

"You're smarter then the papers give you credit for" Finn said nodding "But it wouldn't have mattered because someone else purchased the product earlier today"

"What?" Punk asked him "Who?"

"I'm not allowed to discuss that" Finn said to him

"You better tell me" Punk threatened "This guy could be coming for me and my family!"

"Mr. Brooks please" Finn chuckled "We wouldn't do anything to endanger anybody. The person who purchased the product has made the same promises you made. This person was far more reliable of course because I doubted you could properly dispose of it"

"When it comes to my family there's nothing I wouldn't do" Punk said coldly

"I don't doubt that but again you had a lot more to lose then this person did" Finn said simply "Mr. McMahon wants to thank you for your time and indiscretion" he said extending his hand to Punk

"Where is he?" Punk asked not moving his hand

"We have a privacy agreement" Finn shrugged "Don't worry I'm sure you'll be happy with the results" that's when it hit Punk. Who else would have known where to find Daniel…

"There is no way Arlo was able to give you the money you were asking for" Punk said to him "Also if you think he's going to kill his own son you're wrong. That man is a coward"

"Mr. Brooks senior surprised us all" Finn said simply "And believe me a man with nothing to lose is the most dangerous kind" he grinned

"I know Arlo" Punk said seriously "The guy is going to let Daniel go and rat you and your boss out"

"Same as you were thinking of doing?" Finn asked him

"Excuse me?" Punk asked him

"We have eyes and ears all over this city" Finn told him "Don't worry I understand you're afraid so does Mr. McMahon" he said to him in a whisper "But if you think about going to the police and double crossing him and maybe letting your good friend Steve Austin know that Arlo has Daniel there will be consequences"

"I'm not afraid of you" Punk grinned

"Butler Junior High" was Finn's response and Punk narrowed his eyes at him "That is the school your daughter attends every day? Walks there with this kid" he said reaching into the newspaper where he had a photo and slid it across to him. There was Dani and her friend Joey walking to school

"You son of a bitch" Punk muttered looking at the photo

"This is your mom, no?" Finn asked passing him another surveillance photo "She shops around the corner from here actually. I'm sure I'm bound to bump into her from time to time"

"Fuck you" Punk spat looking at him

"Your pretty wife" he said passing him a photo of AJ at the park with Jake "You should tell her she should switch up her routine a bit. Going to the park on the same day and time every week is dangerous."

"I'm not going to the police" Punk said looking at him with a glare

"I didn't think you would after those" Finn said to him "But it's not just them. I know where your sister lives with your best friend- speaking of that doesn't bother you a bit?" he asked Punk with a laugh "Your brother Devon goes to the same hotel every Monday, Thursday and Sunday with Mrs. Cena" he informed him "And well your other dad he lives in that office"

"I get it" Punk said coldly

"Good" Finn smiled grabbing the photos "We don't like to act like this but there is nothing Mr. McMahon won't do to protect his own family and freedom"

"You go near my family it's you that will end up dead" Punk warned

"We're not going to have that problem" Finn said to him "After you walk out of this coffee shop you forget we ever met and all is well"

"Arlo is going to give you up I hope you get that" Punk said standing up

"You let me worry about him" Finn said to him "Have a good night"

* * *

When Punk made it back to the club he saw AJ sitting behind the desk biting her nails and was relieved when he walked in the door.

"Thank god" AJ smiled walking over to him and hugging him "How did it go?"

"Not the way I expected" Punk admitted.

"What happened?" AJ asked him concerned

"Daniel had already been traded by the time I got there" Punk said to her

"To who?" she asked surprised

"Arlo" Punk said to her

"Arlo?" she laughed "Where did he get that kind of money?"

"He made a living ripping off people" Punk shrugged "Probably loan sharks though"

"So what does this mean?" AJ asked him "Are you going to turn Arlo in?"

"No I'm not" Punk said to her "Balor made it very clear the police aren't an option for me"

"Did he threaten you?" AJ asked surprised

"He threatened everybody" Punk told her honestly "Speaking of that no more park for you and Jake for a little bit and Dani is getting driven to and from school"

"You think they'd hurt us?" AJ asked him

"No I don't" Punk said to her "Because I'm not going to piss him off. I'm going to pretend I don't know a thing"

"So what's the big deal?" AJ asked him

"The big deal is Arlo isn't going to kill Daniel so he's probably snooping around as we speak" Punk said to her "I'm more afraid of him then I am of the McMahon's"

"What does Arlo want with him?" AJ asked him

"I have no idea" Punk admitted with a shrug "He could want to reconnect but I have a feeling he wants a partner crime"

"You really think Arlo would pick him over you?" AJ asked surprised

"Arlo has never loved me" Punk said to her "He doesn't give a shit about you or my kids. He cares about making a quick buck"

"I'm sorry" AJ frowned

"Arlo must have known I was closing in" Punk said bitterly clenching his fists "I should have known"

"Maybe he wants to get Daniel out of town" AJ shrugged

"So what if he does? Doesn't mean he'll go" Punk said to her "And if Daniel is loose out in the City no one is safe"

"It's you he wants" AJ reminded him

"And what's the easiest way to get to me?" Punk asked her "You, the kids, my parents, Mia, Devon- you all have targets on your back"

"He doesn't even know where we live" AJ reminded him

"Oh please" Punk mocked "He knows."

"Maybe you should reach out to Arlo and ask him?" AJ suggested

"I don't trust Arlo" Punk said to her "They're probably in cahoots. Arlo knows the money I have and he's salivating at the idea of it. I can't believe the corner I've been backed into like this" he said annoyed with himself

"We'll get past it" AJ smiled grabbing his hand "Let's just let it go for the night. Let's actually skip out early tonight"

"You promised me sex on the desk" Punk reminded her seriously

"How about sex in our bed?" AJ asked him "Or your other favorite place"

"The washing machine?" Punk asked hopefully

"Yea I've got a ton of it to do" she smirked

"You always trick me into doing laundry" he frowned

"Won't it be worth it?" she teased grabbed her jacket

"Hell yea" Punk agreed "Doesn't mean I don't feel cheap."

"Poor baby" she mocked opening the office door "Where's Roman?"

"He's at the house. I want him there when I'm not" Punk said to her

"We're back to that?" AJ groaned

"Suck it up" He insisted

* * *

The next morning Punk was woken up by the busy activity in his home. Most morning were like this, running around to get Dani ready for school, get Jake fed and eating breakfast. Punk pulled himself from the bed and decided to go down and help AJ.

"Oh good" AJ said passing Jake over to him and passed him the bottle.

"I don't understand why I need to be driven now" Dani argued entering the kitchen "Joey isn't going to like it"

"I told you it's only for a few weeks" AJ reminded her cooking breakfast

"This sucks" Dani said and Punk looked over to her to respond but stopped

"What's on your face?" Punk asked her

"Makeup" Dani shrugged

"Take it off" Punk ordered "You're going to school not a club"

"Mom" Dani whined

"He's right Dani you're a little young" AJ agreed placing a dish of pancakes in front of her

"Way too young" Punk clarified

"It's just a little eyes shadow and lip gloss" Dani argued with Punk

"Even a little is too much" Punk said sarcastically "Wash it off"

"Ugh!" she screamed and stomped out of the kitchen

"She's getting so moody" Punk said to AJ as he fed Jake his bottle

"She's almost a teenager get used to it" AJ said seriously "Coffee?" she asked him

"Please" He said to her

"Dani hurry up you're going to be late!" AJ shouted

"I don't care!" Dani yelled from the bathroom

"Wow" Punk said to AJ

"She's upset about being driven and speaking of do you want me to take her or will you?" AJ asked him

"I'm not getting in a car with him!" Dani yelled from the bathroom

"I'll take care" Punk smiled at AJ "It should be a fun car ride"  
"I won't go!" Dani warned

"Yea you will!" Punk yelled back

"Just let me take her" AJ said throwing her wallet in her purse "It will take five minutes and by that time Jake should be done eating"

"Alright" Punk said to him "You still like me right?" he asked Jake but obviously the infant didn't respond "I'll take that as a yes"

"It's a phase" she assured him. The doorbell rang at that moment and AJ groaned and walked to the door. "Phil!" she yelled out and he stood up with Jake in his arms and walked over to AJ to see who was at the door.

"What?" Punk asked her then looked at the two uniformed police officers "What do you want?"

"Phil" AJ hissed

"Mr. Brooks we need you to come down to the police station" the officers said to him

"I'm busy" Punk mocked

"We weren't asking" one officer said and Punk let out a laugh

"Why?" AJ asked folding her arms defensively

"We have some questions nothing for you to worry about Miss" he said to her

"I'm a little busy" Punk smirked gesturing to his son

"I'm sure your wife wouldn't mind taking over" The officer said to her "It's important"

"Is someone hurt?" AJ asked concerned

"Yes" The officer said to him

"Who?" Punk asked

"Your father" The officer said and Punk almost passed out "What happened to Elliot?"

"No not Elliot, Arlo Brooks" the officer said and Punk rolled his eyes

"I don't care" Punk said simply "But thanks for letting me know"

"He was assaulted with a baseball bat" The officer told him

"Ok" Punk said not following

"We received a call that you were the assailant" the officer said to him

"You're kidding me right?" Punk asked with a laugh but the officers looked serious

"We need you to come down the stations and ask you some questions" the officer said and Punk looked towards AJ and passed Jake over to her

"Phil" AJ whispered

"It's fine" Punk said to her "Call our lawyer" he said to her "Because I'm sure these fine officers know I won't be speaking without one"

"Wait Phil just tell them-" AJ started

"It's ok" Punk said cutting her off and shooting her a look to keep her mouth shut "Did Arlo tell you I did it?" Punk asked amused as he grabbed his jacket

"No because he can't speak and probably won't wake up" The officer said to him "The doctors don't think he'll make it through the day"

"He should be at he hospital with is father" AJ argued

"I'd rather be at the police station" Punk remarked

"Dad?" Dani asked coming out to see Punk about to walk away with the police

"It's ok Dani I'll be home in a little bit" Punk promised her

"Why are they taking him?" Dani asked as her eyes watered up

"It's fine honey" AJ promised her

"Go to school and I'll pick you up after" Punk said putting on his jacket "Call Elliot" he whispered to AJ and she nodded

"Dad don't go!" Dani cried hugging him

"Relax kid I'll be back before you even have chance to miss me" Punk laughed "I just have to talk to them about something no one is in trouble, right?" Punk asked glaring towards the cop

"Of course" The officer said smiling at Dani

"Cops are liars" Dani spat and AJ quickly covered her mouth with her hand

"She's kidding" AJ laughed nervously but Punk let out a loud laugh in response and followed the officers out.

"Is he really in trouble?" Dani asked looking up at AJ

"No of course not" AJ said forcing a smile but knew this must have been bad.


	61. Breaking Free

**Breaking Free**

* * *

AJ had taken Dani to school and dropped Jake off with Jennifer so she could be at the police station. Punk had been in there for hours now and she wasn't sure why something so innocent such as questioning was taking so long their attorney was in there as well but no one was giving AJ any kind of update.

"He's still in there?" Devon asked AJ as he walked into the police station

"Yea" AJ said looking towards the door hoping to see Punk walk out "If the beating was last night I'm Phil's alibi" she said to him "Why won't they let him go?"

"I'm sure everything is fine" Devon assured him "Elliot is out of town but he's flying back now"

"Dani is freaking out" AJ said to him "What am I going to tell her if they don't release him?"

"Why would they be holding him?" Devon asked then sat next to AJ "I know he tells you everything" He said in a whisper

"He didn't do it" AJ said to him "He doesn't have that in him"

"I was expecting Elliot" Steve Austin said walking over to them

"Why is Phil still in there?" AJ asked him

"Better question is why did you let them drag my brother in here?" Devon shot at Steve who was an old family friend

"I didn't know a thing about it" Steve defended "All I know is Punk can't provide an alibi for his whereabouts during the assault last night and there was a witness who said they saw a tall 6ft man covered in tattoos fleeing from the scene in his car which they also ID'd as Punks"

"What witness?" Devon asked

"I was with my husband last night" AJ argued with him "We were at the club"

"Cameras on the street picked up on Punk leaving the club for over thirty minutes" Steve said to her "He came back and a few minutes later he left with you. Do you know where he went AJ?" AJ wasn't sure what to say because Punk was so adamant about her not mentioning the McMahon's or Finn Balor.

"He wasn't with Arlo" AJ insisted

"Where was he then?" Steve asked

"Don't talk to him" Devon instructed AJ

"Hey I'm just trying to help here" Steve defended

"You've done a crack up job so far" Devon remarked bitterly

"AJ you need to be honest with me so I can get Punk out of this" Steve said looking at her

"Nothing AJ" Devon warned her and AJ took Devon's warnings because he did have Punk's best interest at heart

"Fine. You know my number if you change your mind" Steve said to her

"Outside" Devon hissed in AJ's ear

AJ followed Devon outside of the station where no one could hear them.

"Where was he?" Devon demanded

"He was meeting with Finn Balor" AJ blurted out

"Who?" Devon asked

"He works for the McMahon family" AJ said to him and Devon's face fell

"What the fuck was he doing with them?" Devon asked

"They were protecting Daniel" AJ admitted and Devon groaned "He was thinking about paying for Daniel but he changed his mind he wasn't going to do it" she assured Devon

"So what happened?" Devon asked her "They just let Punk walk out of there?"

"Daniel had already been given to someone else, Arlo" AJ whispered

"Ok so obviously Daniel assaulted Arlo" Devon shrugged "Why won't Punk just tell them?"

"Finn made some threats" AJ admitted "If Punk spoke to the police it could be worse for him"

"So he's keeping his mouth shut" Devon remarked shaking his head "If he talks it could get him killed"

"But if he doesn't talk he could get thrown into prison" AJ added

"He's probably more afraid for you and the kids" Devon said to her "Speaking of I think you guys should stay at my parents house until Punk is out"

"You don't think he'll be out tonight?" AJ asked alarmed

"He's lying to the police and it's making him look guiltier" Devon whispered "I need to figure out who this witness is" he said to himself

"The uniformed officers said they called in" AJ said to him

"It was probably Daniel" Devon groaned and ran his hands over his face "You should really go back home and pack up the kids stuff and bring it over to Elliot and Jennifer's. I'll call Dean and have him get Dani from school"

"So we just leave Phil here?" AJ asked horrified

"We don't have a choice AJ" Devon said to her "I'm sorry but I'll do everything I can to get him out tonight"

* * *

Instead of going home AJ went to the familiar coffee shop that she knew the McMahon family used as a front. AJ walked inside and there wasn't a soul inside except for a man behind the counter.

"We're not open" the man said to her

"It's three in the afternoon" AJ remarked annoyed

"And we're not open" the man shot back

"I'm not here for coffee I'm here to see Finn Balor" she said to him and he narrowed his eyes at her

"Never heard of him" the man shrugged

"My husband met with him here last night and unless Mr. Balor and Mr. McMahon want me going to the police I suggest someone comes out here and talks to me" AJ hissed

"Give me a minute" the man said stepping away and into a back room.

A few minutes later the door opened and Finn Balor appeared dressed in a crisp suit.

"Mrs. Brooks" Finn smiled "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"My husband has been arrested" AJ said to him and he nodded

"I heard he was just being questioned" Finn said to her "I'm sure it's nothing for you to worry about"

"We both know Phil was here last night with you and you're his alibi and he refuses to tell the police that because you threatened his family" AJ said to him

"He's a smart man" Finn replied

"He's going to be charged for a crime he didn't commit" AJ argued "You need to tell the police you were with him last night during that time. Daniel set him up"

"I think you know I can't do that" Finn smiled at her as if she was a child "The evidence will come back and he will walk"

"He looks guilty" AJ insisted

"I can't help with looks" Finn said to her

"Fine" AJ said annoyed "I'll go to the police and tell them how you and your boss were housing a fugitive and you threatened my husband if he told the police"

"Mrs. Brooks why do you have to complicate things?" Finn asked amused "You do know what will happen if you do that?"

"I don't care I'll be under protection because I'm helping the police bring down you and the biggest mobster in Chicago" AJ said to him "I don't give a shit what you say I'm not going to let my husband pay for something that you did!"

"I didn't touch Arlo Brooks" Finn said to her

"No but you released Daniel Bryan to him who did hurt him" AJ pointed out "I'm sure my little confession is enough for a couple of warrants-"

"Tread carefully Mrs. Brooks" Finn warned her

"Are you going to kill me? Add more suspicion?" AJ questioned "You got my husband into this mess and you'll get him out of it or I start talking"

"You've got some pair of balls on you" Finn laughed "No one has ever walked in here and made demands like you and walked out"

"I'd do anything to protect my family" AJ said to him coldly

"And how is you getting killed protecting them?" Finn asked tilting his head "I'm sure Phil will be released eventually and he'd come out to find his wife stupidly spoke before thinking and paid the ultimate price. He'd have to raise those two beautiful children by himself"

"Don't talk about my children" AJ warned him

"You know I know your father" Finn remarked casually "Alberto Del-Rio"

"I'm sure that's been a pleasant experience" AJ remarked sarcastically

"He's a coward" Finn told her bluntly "Real bottom feeder, you're not like that"

"I wasn't raised by him" AJ said to him

"I know" Finn said to her "It's just hard to believe you share the same DNA"

"I'm not here to talk about him I'm here about Phil" AJ said staying on topic "Are you going to help me or are you going to risk a hell of a lot of eyes on you"

"And what's in it for me?" Finn asked her arching a brow

"Your freedom" AJ said to him "Because if Phil goes down for this so will you"

"Normally I would shoot you dead" Finn admitted with a laugh but AJ showed zero fear "But I actually find you to be entertaining. Ok I'll figure something out"

"No you'll go down to the police station and you'll tell them you were meeting with Phil last night over a potential business deal that you wanted to remain quiet which is why Phil hasn't said anything to them" AJ informed him and Finn's eyes widened and he smiled "You'll tell the police exactly what time you were with him and you will not leave until he walks out of that station as well. Also I'll drive because I don't trust that you'll drive off in another direction"

"Yes mam" Finn chuckled

* * *

Punk was in the interrogation room with just his lawyer know.

"You need to fess up" his lawyer said to him "They can hold you for 48 hours"

"So let them hold me" Punk said with a shrug

"Did you see Arlo last night?" His lawyer asked him

"No I haven't seen Arlo in months" Punk said to him

"Do you know who could have hurt Arlo besides you?" he questioned Punk

"Why would I want to hurt Arlo?" Punk asked him "I'm long over the past he doesn't even exist in my world as far as I'm concerned. If I wanted to kill him I would have done it years ago"

"He's not dead yet" The lawyer reminded him

"I don't really give a shit" Punk said to him "I want to speak to either my wife or my brother because I know they're both here"

"Devon is, AJ took off" he said to him

"Where did she go?" Punk asked him

"She didn't say, Devon said he sent her home to be with the kids" his lawyer said to him

"Daniel Bryan is out there" Punk reminded him

"This again?" The lawyer asked

"Don't make that fucking face" Punk warned him "My wife and kids are a target just ask Arlo"

"Are you telling me Daniel Bryan did this to Arlo?" his lawyer asked him

"I would bet my life and freedom on it" Punk said to him "I'm sure he's also the one that called in that tip on me. Probably to get me taken away for a few hours."

"Relax Devon is taking care of your family and Elliot just landed" his attorney said to him "If you're really worried about your family you could just be honest with the police"

"Trust me that won't help me" Punk groaned

"What is wrong with you?" the attorney asked "I have known you since you were a kid and you always find a way of ruining things for yourself when things are going good? Two kids, two successful clubs and now this?"

"It's a talent" Punk smiled sarcastically

"Well when the police come back in here be warned they're going to inform you they're keeping you in lock up. I'll see what I can do about getting you isolated due to your fame and money" his attorney said to him and at that moment the door swung open.

"You're free to go" The uniformed officer informed them and both Punk and the attorney looked surprised

"Just like that?" Punk asked

"Your associate came in and vouched for you" the officer said to him "But don't leave town" he warned him

"That's a relief" Punk's attorney said to him

"Who came in and provided me with an alibi?" Punk asked him

"You know as much as I do" his attorney said standing up

When Punk walked into the waiting area AJ jumped out of her seat and threw her arms around him.

"Thank god" AJ mumbled holding him

"I thought you were going back to my parents house?" Punk asked her

"I thought so too" Devon remarked glaring at AJ

"What's going on?" Punk asked him

"Ask her" Devon said annoyed then stormed out of the police station

"What did you do?" Punk asked her

"I got you out" AJ smiled "You're welcome"

"How?" Punk asked slowly

"Glad to see you've been released" Finn Balor said from behind Punk causing him to turn around

"You're my alibi?" Punk asked him

"Is that not the truth?" Finn asked

"Why did you do this?" Punk asked him

"You're welcome" Finn said simply

"You called him?" Punk asked AJ

"She actually marched into my coffee shop" Finn said to him and Punk glared at AJ "Threatened me and all" he laughed "She's scary"

"Yes she is" Punk said not taking his glare off of his wife

"This ends our relationship" Finn Balor told them "Please don't come back to me unless its for personal reasons" he said shooting AJ a wink then walked out of the station

"You are the most thick headed woman I have ever met in my life" Punk said to her coldly then grabbed her hand and walked out of the station with her

* * *

Punk drove AJ's car to his parents' house and didn't really speak to her much during the drive.

"I'm not apologizing" AJ said to him firmly with her arms crossed over her chest

"You did something wrong and you're mad at me?" Punk asked with a laugh looking over to her

"I got you out of lockup" AJ shrugged "Same as I got you out of trouble with Alberto so instead of being angry at me all of the time you should be thanking me and be grateful that you have such a smart wife who is willing to get you out of your messes"

"Wow" Punk chuckled keeping his eyes on the road "Have you ever considered leaving me because I'm such a screw up? Don't you get tired of getting me out of trouble?"

"It's not like that" AJ scolded

"It's the way you made it sound" Punk shrugged "You don't give me enough time to get myself out of all of these jams"

"I'm not a patient person" AJ admitted "You've helped me and I helped you it's what we do"

"It's not that I'm not grateful for you because believe me I am" Punk said to her seriously and looked towards her "And not just because you always stand by and put yourself at risk to help me. You've changed my life" he said with a smile as he looked towards the road "I never wanted kids or a wife and now that I have it I couldn't imagine life without it and you gave me that"

"Any woman could have given you this" AJ reminded him

"No" Punk said quickly shaking his head "You're different no one else could have made me this happy and make me change my entire outlook on life. I love our kids" he said looking over to her again "But I wouldn't be able to raise them without you" he said honestly "I couldn't live without you"

"You say that now but you'd surprise yourself" AJ said with a faint smile

"Impossible" Punk said to her "You're my lifeline" He said to her and she gave him a soft smile "I'm not going to yell or remind you that what you did was incredibly stupid and dangerous because I hate fighting with you but I want you to know if something were to ever happen to you especially if it happened because you were trying to help me it would literally kill me"

"Don't say things like that" AJ said sadly

"I mean it AJ" Punk said to her "Yelling at you doesn't do the trick so I'm just going to be honest with you." He said calmly

"Nothing happened" AJ whispered "I know how to take care of myself"

"I know you do but you've been lucky" Punk pointed out "Daniel, your father and now you're threatening mobsters on my behalf?" he asked with a bitter laugh "You have to have a death wish"

"I'm just looking out for you" AJ said to him

"I love you even more for that" Punk said with a soft smile "But you've got to let me take care of some things"

"I can't make any promises" she told him honestly "You're my family too"

"Ok" Punk said to her

"Maybe this will teach you to stop being so reckless yourself. If you stayed out of trouble I wouldn't have to get involved" AJ pointed out

"That's a fair point" Punk agreed surprising her "I'll work on it"

"So are you going to thank me now?" AJ asked him

"Oh I'm going to thank you alright" He remarked with a laugh "I plan on thanking you all night"

"You know those days are long gone" AJ teased "Did you want to stop by the hospital first before we got the kids?"

"Why would I want to do that?" Punk asked her

"To at least see Arlo" AJ shrugged "The doctors said they don't think he'll make it"

"That's a shame" Punk said simply

"He's your father" AJ reminded him

"Elliot is my father" Punk said to her

"He's alone" AJ added

"He did that to himself" Punk countered

"I think you'd regret it if you didn't at least say goodbye" AJ said to him

"I said goodbye to him a very long time ago" Punk said to her

* * *

Back at home AJ was upstairs giving Jake a bath and trying to getting him settled for bed. Punk was in the living room watching hockey when Dani walked over to him and stood in front of the TV to block his view.

"Hey kid could you just sidestep like 3 feet?" Punk asked her but she glared at him "If this is about the makeup thing you can make as many faces as you want it's not changing the rules of this house, no makeup until you're 21"

"That's not the rule. I have to wait until high school" Dani informed him "That's mom's rule and her rules are real and yours are fake. That's what she told me anyway"

"I'll have to talk to her about that" Punk smirked "So what's up kid?"

"Are you going back to prison?" Dani asked

"I was never in prison" Punk said to her seriously "The police had some questions for me and they had to do it at the police station"

"Did you do something bad?" Dani asked him

"No because if I did I wouldn't be sitting here right now" Punk said to her

"I was worried about you" Dani admitted

"I'm sorry you worried but it was for nothing" Punk smiled "Now do you want to sit and watch the game with me or do you want to continue to block my view?"

"I'll watch with you" She smiled walking over to the couch and taking a seat next to him

* * *

Later that night Punk was lighting candles since it was storming out and they lost power twenty minutes ago.

"Try not to make so much noise" AJ whispered "Both the kids are asleep and Dani will be upset without power and Jake will cry"

"Yea, yea" Punk said to her turning on a flashlight now "I'm just going to check on them real quick."

"Afraid of a little thunder and lightening?" AJ teased

"No" Punk mocked "Just want to make sure everyone is where they're supposed to be that's all" he said defensively.

As AJ finished setting up the candles she made sure Jake's monitor was on then began to undress for bed. She let out a yelp when she felt someone tackle her to the bed.

"You're bad" AJ laughed as she found her husband pressing into her body

"And you are so beautiful" Punk grinned and kissed her "I told you I was going to thank you all night" he quickly pulled down her night shorts and panties as he attacked her lips with his own.

"The thunder might drown out our noise tonight" AJ smiled

"Or wake Jake up" Punk warned "We've got to do this quick"

"You always say that, it's so unromantic" AJ teased

"We've got two kids and we still have sex almost every night of the week we're way ahead of all other couples" he said to her "Did you take your pill today?" he asked tugging her shirt over her head

"Yes" She laughed

"Damn" he muttered sitting up on his knees and removing his own clothing now

"It's way too soon for another baby" she warned him "Mister 'I don't want kids anytime soon' sure wants a lot of them all of the sudden"

"I like kids" Punk shrugged

"You don't have to do all of the work of course you do" she laughed "If we keep having kids we're going to be offered our own reality show on TLC"

"Sounds good to me" Punk grinned hovering over her body and kissing her again.

Downstairs the lock on the backdoor turned with ease and a man in a black raincoat walked inside. The power being down meant their alarm system was down to. The man removed his hood and it was Daniel Bryan drenched from the downpour. He removed his jacket and casually placed it on a kitchen chair. He walked around the kitchen casually as if he had all the time in the world and reached into the cabinet and grabbed a soda. He sipped it twice and let it on the counter then walked down the hall and found the living room.

The living room was littered in photos of Punk and his family. One of him and AJ from their wedding day, Dani's school picture, Dani and Jake together, the Klein's.

"Lovely" Daniel smiled he then saw a photo of AJ and Celeste and turned it down so it was no longer facing up.

Daniel stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked up the dark stretch of stairs and nodded before slowly walking up them…..

"Oh god" AJ moaned as Punk fell onto her body. Both covered in sweat and completely satisfied.

"That good huh?" Punk teased

"You're always that good" AJ grinned satisfied

"You're good" he grinned and began to kiss her neck while he remained inside of her body. "Still so tight, so wet" he said appreciatively "I feel like I haven't broken you in yet"

"I'm not a dog" she giggled

"No you're not, you're a goddess" He corrected "A beautiful woman that I am going to spend the rest of my life pleasing" he said and that's when her legs wrapped around his waist to keep him close

"You're getting hard again" AJ said with a soft smile and her eyes were still closed "I can feel you in me"

"I'd live in you if it was possible" Punk said leaving a small mark on her neck

"Again?" AJ asked hopefully and he just responded by nodding into her neck as he sucked on another spot of it

"And again and again and again" he said seriously

"Stop" AJ said surprising him. Her voice wasn't lustful or teasing, she told him to stop and he halted all move movements. She had never demanded he stop during sex before.

"What's wrong did I hurt you?" He asked looking up at her but her eyes were looking behind him. Punk turned his head and saw Daniel Bryan casually standing at the foot of his bed.

"Please don't let me interrupt, you two can finish up" he grinned at them "Don't worry brother it's nothing I haven't seen before" he winked towards Punk and both him and AJ were frozen in place.


	62. Fear Itself

**Fear Itself**

* * *

"Seriously go on" Daniel encouraged leaning against their dresser and looking at them "AJ used to like it from behind" he grinned

Punk wasn't sure what to do, he spotted the weapon in Daniels' hand and if he rushed him he risked being knocked out. AJ was shaking in fear as Punk pulled away from her and pulled the bed sheets up to keep her firmly covered.

"I'm getting my clothes" Punk told Daniel who just shrugged and watched as Punk reached for his shorts and t-shirt. "Daniel" he said slowly "What are you doing in my house?"

"We have a lot to talk about" Daniel said simply "I know you have questions and I have questions"

"Ok cool" Punk said calmly "We'll leave and talk about this elsewhere"

"It's raining out" Daniel said with a laugh "I'm not going back outside. We can chat here with your wife, my ex-girlfriend" he then let out a louder laugh "Don't you think it's weird you and I ended up with the same woman?"

"Keep your voice down" Punk said as calmly as possible

"That's right sleeping babies on the floor" Daniel smirked "I met Dani but I'm sure you already knew that. Pretty little thing" he said with a grin and Punk's fists began to clench "She reminds me a lot of you" he said looking at AJ "Lost, angry, confused, vulnerable, looking for a little attention"

"Fuck off" Punk spat

"Relax she's a little young for me" Daniel laughed "But thankfully she's not blood related so at least when she turns 16 or at least begins to look more like a woman it won't be incest"

"You mother fucker" Punk said disgusted

"Relax bro" Daniel said amused "Are you going to get dressed?" he asked looking at AJ

"If you turn around" AJ said holding the sheet close to her body

"I'm not stupid AJ" Daniel scoffed "I wouldn't mind having this conversation with you laying there naked" he smirked

"Let her leave the room and stay with the kids" Punk said to him "I think you've done enough to her"

"Let her leave the room" Daniel pondered tapping his chin "Let her leave the room…so she can call the police?"

"We have no power or cell service" AJ said to him

"You're going to stay right there, Punk can stand in front of you while you change but again it's nothing I don't remember" Daniel reminded her

"It's ok AJ" Punk said moving to her side of the bed and picking up her tank-top and shorts. He turned around to face Daniel but stood directly in front of AJ so she could get changed. "I heard what you did to Arlo"

"You don't give a shit about Arlo" Daniel laughed

"Doesn't make it right" Punk remarked

"He borrowed and stole all of that money to get to me and do you know that old fucker tried to kill me?" Daniel asked him and Punk was surprised "He wanted to do right by you once and make up for some of the bullshit he put you through, but fuck me right" Daniel laughed as AJ hid behind Punk's back, now fully dressed "He sold me and then blames me for ruining your life" he laughed "what an asshole"

"Please let me go to my children" AJ pleaded behind Punk's back before stepping forward but Punk quickly grabbed her by the wrist and hid her behind him again

"I'm not going to hurt your kids AJ" Daniel scoffed

"You hurt Celeste, you hurt me" AJ pointed out

"And Arlo" Daniel said to her "But I'm not a monster. Who do you think took care of your mother's grave all these years?"

"That was you?" AJ asked him

"Yes it was" Daniel smiled "You're welcome"

"I just want to be with them" AJ said holding back tears

"This won't be long" Daniel said to her "Just relax honey"

"Phil has done nothing to you" AJ added

"AJ please" Punk hissed

"She's not wrong" Daniel agreed "It's just a case of sibling jealousy. I mean you landed with the Klein's, you married my ex, you had a couple of kids and you have a dream job. I on the other hand struggled for everything in my life"

"Oh did you?" Punk mocked "You had good parents"

"My dad was a monster" Daniel said to him "You think I had a thing for my foster sisters? He would sneak into their rooms and I'd hear them crying." He then looked past Punk over to AJ "You're welcome by the way. Saved you from that misery"

"So you're not all bad" AJ said with a forced smile "Just leave now-"

"Shut up AJ" Daniel said cutting her off

"Don't" Punk warned him

"I'll beat her with this bat if she doesn't stop" Daniel laughed "Just like I did to Celeste"

"Say what you have to say Daniel" Punk said holding his back his anger

"I've actually visualized this moment for a very long time" Daniel said fondly "But now that I'm here in the moment my mind is drawing a blank"

"Did you come here looking for a fight?" Punk asked him gesturing to the bat

"I came here expecting you to try to beat my ass" Daniel said holding the bat firmly "I mean I did beat your wife and torture her for a couple of days"

"You did" Punk said slowly "I haven't forgotten it"

"I'm sure you haven't" Daniel nodded "It was terrible and I never meant to involve AJ but she stuck her nose where it didn't belong, I thought she would have outgrown that"

"So let her leave the room" Punk said to her "She can't call anyone just let her stay in their room"

"Fine, she's distracting me anyway" Daniel said to him then opened the bedroom door. "I'm leaving this door open and if you try to run I'll kill him"

"I won't run" AJ promised and walked to the door. Daniel lifted his arm with the bat causing AJ to flinch and he let out a laugh

"I'm just teasing you" Daniel laughed. Punk bit on his lower lip "You really do have the dream life" he smirked towards Punk "She'd do anything for you"

"I'd do anything for her" Punk countered

"What did you do!" AJ screamed storming towards Daniel and Punk jumped in-between them

"AJ stop" Punk warned

"They're gone" AJ cried "Jake isn't in his crib and Dani isn't in her bed"

"They were there when I came in" Daniel said unbothered

"You son of a bitch where are my children!" AJ screamed trying to lunge for him but Punk grabbed her from around her waist

"AJ stop!" Punk warned

"He did something to them" AJ cried "He's a monster!"

"I'll handle it" Punk whispered to her

"Seriously I didn't touch your kids-" Daniel started but Punk moved too quickly and ripped the bat from his hands and hit him in the leg causing him to hit the floor

"What did you to my kids?" Punk screamed as he brought the bat down to hit Daniel again

"Jesus! Fuck!" Daniel screamed "I didn't touch your fucking kids!"

"They were there before you came in!" AJ yelled

"He didn't take them out of the house, look around the house" Punk said to her "If you touched one fucking hair on my kids head-"

"If I hurt your kids you would know about it!" Daniel yelled "I'd be gloating about it!"

"You sick piece of shit" Punk hissed "Give me one good reason I shouldn't take this bat to your head and fucking end your life"

"Because I'm your brother" Daniel reminded him

"You're not my brother" Punk replied coldly "And as soon as AJ finds my kids I will kill you and I won't feel any guilt"

"You'd go to jail" Daniel reminded him

"Nah man" Punk grinned "You broke into my home, you took my kids-"

"I didn't touch your stupid fucking kids!" Daniel screamed and Punk hit him the side with the bat "You don't deserve them anyway you stole my fucking life!"

"Fuck of" Punk spat annoyed "I'm done with your bullshit"

"Phil they're not here" AJ said walking in the doorway and now Punk was afraid and looked towards her and he was usually the calm one who always had a plan and his look frightened AJ.

That was the distraction Daniel needed to get the upper hand over Punk and grabbed his ankle flipping him on his back and jumping on him to hit him.

"AJ run!" Punk yelled out but she was frozen in place.

She watched as Daniel relentlessly hit Punk and saw the blood pouring from his nose and mouth, it was dark but she could still see it. AJ reached over to the bat and held it high over Daniel's hand. Punk's eyes caught hers briefly and before he could tell her not to she dropped the bat on Daniel's head causing him to crash on top of Punk. AJ held the bat in her hands tightly as Punk pushed Daniel off of himself and looked over to AJ.

"It's ok babe give it to me" Punk said holding his hand out for the bat but she was in shock. "Just give me the bat" he said slowly taking it from her.

"Is he ok?" AJ asked and Punk pushed Daniel onto his back and felt for a pulse. "Phil?"

"We need to find Dani and Jake" he said standing up and ignoring her question

"He's not moving" AJ stifled a cry placing her hand over her mouth

"AJ focus" Punk said putting his hands on her arms and shaking her lightly "We need to find the kids"

"Ok" she nodded slowly.

Punk grabbed her hand and ran down the stairs with her.

"Where are we going?" AJ asked

"Go next door and call the police" Punk told her

"But Phil-" she started and that's when their front door was kicked open

"Hands in the air!" A swat team member shouted and Punk and AJ both put their hands in their air

"We live here!" Punk said to him "The guy who broke in is upstairs"

"Mr. Brooks?" the officer asked

"Yes and my wife" the man lowered his gun and nodded to the officers to head upstairs

"My kids are missing" Punk told him desperately

"Your kids are fine" The officer said holstering his weapon "Your daughter heard the commotion in your room and grabbed her little brother and ran to the neighbors" he informed him "It took a while to get a connection but they got through to 911"

"Thank god" AJ said falling to the couch

"You ok?" Punk asked her

"I'm just a little overwhelmed" AJ admitted and she was looking pale as well

"There's an ambulance on it's way" the officer told them

"I just want to see my kids" AJ told him

"You both should get checked out first, especially you" he said looking at Punk's bloody face

"We have a DOA upstairs" the officer yelled down

"Oh my god he's dead" AJ cried "I-"

"It was self defense" Punk said cutting her off but her face went even paler if that was possible, he couldn't even see her lips anymore.

"What happened?" the officer asked them

"That animal broke into my home and attacked me and my wife" Punk told him

"I just wanted him to stop hitting my husband" AJ told the officer remorsefully

"She tried to get his attention and he lunged for my wife, I picked up the bat and hit him in the head" Punk lied easily

"We'll get your statements later" the officer said to him "And you parents have been called and they're going to pick up your children"

"Thank you" Punk said to him

"Why did you lie?" AJ asked him "I killed him- I killed a man-"

"Hey" Punk whispered kneeling down "What you did was fucking amazing, you saved my life…again" he smirked cupping her cheek "But you don't have to go through the hassle of this let me do this for you"

"Phil I should pay for this" AJ whispered back to him

"No one is paying for anything" Punk assured her "Just don't say anything, let me do all of the talking"

"Phil" Elliot announce walking into the home with a long trench coat.

"Hey" Punk said standing up and Elliot pulled him into a hug

"Dani and Jake are with Jennifer and Dean" Elliot told him "They're taking them back to the house for as long as it takes"

"Thank you" Punk said to him

"You ok sweetheart?" Elliot frowned kneeling in front of AJ

"She's just in shock" Punk said to him

"She doesn't look well, neither do you for that matter" Elliot said looking up at him as well but placing his hand over AJ's shaky one.

"We're going to get checked out" Punk said to him

"Where's Daniel?" Elliot asked

"I killed him" AJ whispered with wide teary eyes

"She's confused" Punk said to Elliot "There was a fight and I hit him with a bat and he's dead I guess"

"Mr. Brooks" the officer shouted and waved him over

"Stay with her?" Punk asked Elliot and he nodded. Punk walked over to the officer but kept his eyes on AJ.

"He's lying you know" AJ said to Elliot

"About what?" Elliot asked quietly

"I killed Daniel" AJ admitted "He kept hitting Phil and he wouldn't stop"

"You did the right thing" Elliot said to her "But why don't you let Punk handle this for you?"

"I don't want him to get into trouble" She cried

"No one is in trouble" Elliot promised her "You're in shock" he told her and she nodded slowly in agreement "Punk isn't so let him do all of the talking and you just say whatever it is he tells you to"

"What if they take Dani from us?" AJ asked alarmed

"Who would take Dani?" Elliot asked concerned

"The court! They're not going to leave her in the care of a murdering mother" AJ sobbed

"AJ you're adoption of Dani is legally binding" Elliot reminded her "And no one is taking Dani away if anything you're going to be handled a medal"

"I didn't want him to die" AJ cried

"If you could go back in time and Daniel was hitting Phil would you change what you did?" Elliot asked her

"No I guess not" AJ sniffled

"Because you we're protecting your family and you saved my sons life" Elliot said with a warm smile "I'm very proud of you. But right now let Punk protect you, don't repeat this conversation to anyone not eve Detective Austin" he warned her and she nodded "I mean it AJ"

"I won't" She promised

"I mean it AJ let Phil take lead on this" Elliot warned and she nodded "Your children need you to be strong, ok?"

"Are they really ok?" AJ asked him

"Yes" Elliot smiled at her "I saw them before I came here. Dani heard Daniel in your room and the first thing she did was run into Jake's nursery, wrapped him in a blanket to shield him from the rain and ran next door to your neighbors. They called the police then me."

"She's so smart" AJ said with a light smile

"Brilliant" Elliot chuckled "She was very brave like you're being right now"

"Phil is the brave one" AJ said to him "He didn't bat an eye once"

"AJ the medics are here" Punk said walking over to her

"You get checked out first" AJ insisted

"We'll get checked out together" He said grabbing her hand and bringing her to her feet

* * *

A few hours after being checked out by the medics and giving their statements to the police Elliot drove Punk and AJ back to his house so they could see their children.

"Oh thank goodness" Jennifer cried hugging AJ then Punk "Your face" she said looking at the cuts and bruises on Punk's face

"It's fine Ma" Punk said pulling away

"They're probably sleeping, right?" AJ asked

"Jake is" Jennifer told her "But Dani is awake she can't sleep"

"We should talk to her" AJ said to Punk and he nodded

"I'll be right up" He said to her

"They're in Phil's old room" Jennifer told her and she headed up the stairs.

AJ opened the door and saw Dani playing cards with Dean.

"You're hustling me" Dean said annoyed to her "Where did you learn to play poker?"

"I have many tricks up my sleeve" Dani shrugged innocently

"Hi honey" AJ said stepping into the room

"Mom!" Dani shouted and ran over to her and hugged her tightly "Where's Dad?"

"He's downstairs he'll be right up" AJ said to her

"Hey" Dean said giving her a hug "You ok?"

"Yea" AJ forced out

"Are you really ok?" Dani asked not letting go of her but looking up at her

"Yes I am" AJ assured her "You did so great tonight Dani" she said to her "So brave and smart I am so proud of you"

"I didn't know what else to do" Dani admitted as AJ walked her over to the bed and sat with her "I heard you begging to leave the room and he told you no. I recognized his voice and I wanted to run in and help but then I thought Jake would be alone and I had to get him to safety for first. I wanted to come back and help-"

"You did everything right" AJ assured her "You saved your little brother that's the most amazing thing anyone could do. You should be very proud of yourself"

"You should" Punk agreed walking in the room and Dani ran and gave him a hug "You did great tonight Dani"

"I was scared of you two" Dani admitted "I didn't want to leave you behind"

"Anytime you feel unsafe anywhere you leave" Punk reminded her seriously "You grabbed your brother and did the right thing. I can't even tell you how proud I am of you. And hey your fears were for nothing because your mom and are ok"

"You look hurt, he beat you up" Dani frowned

"I'm tough" Punk said proudly "Like you"

"Why are you crying?" Dani asked AJ and Punk looked over to her as well and sure enough she was crying

"I'm just really happy that you and Jake are ok and I'm really proud of you" AJ said hugging her tightly

"Is she ok?" Dani asked Punk

"She's had a rough night" Punk smirked at Dani "But you need to get some sleep"

"I don't think I can" Dani admitted

"Try honey" AJ insisted and gave her a kiss on the head "I love you"

"I love you too" Dani said smiling

"What about me?" Punk asked teasingly

"I love you too" she said hugging him

"Come on" Punk said grabbing AJ's hand and walked her out of the room

Punk and AJ were set up in the guest room after checking on Jake who had a crib set up in Jennifer and Elliot's room. They were taking over baby duty tonight so Punk and AJ could rest.

"What are you thinking?" Punk asked lying next to her. He was on his side and she was on her back looking at the ceiling.

"I'm thinking you almost died tonight and I'm also thinking I murdered a man" AJ said blinking up at the ceiling fan.

"No you didn't" Punk said to her

"Just because you said you did it and on paper it says you doesn't change how I feel" AJ said to him

"The police aren't filing charges if you did something wrong they would have" Punk said to her

"Why did you take the wrap for me?" AJ asked looking over to him "You must have thought there was a chance I'd get in trouble"

"There's always a slim chance but I did it mostly so you wouldn't have to talk about and relive it constantly" Punk told her honestly "Daniel has already taken enough from you no reason for him to continue to do so after death"

"I'm sorry" she said to him

"You're sorry you saved my life?" Punk teased

"No I'm sorry for killing your brother" AJ said to him "Don't hate me"

"Daniel Bryan was never my brother" Punk reminded her "And I couldn't hate you even if I tried. If you hadn't had killed him I would have"

"I'm just like my own father" AJ said to him

"Oh AJ that's not true" he said sadly "How could you think that?"

"I always thought you were crazy when you compared yourself to Arlo" AJ said to him "I didn't understand"

"And do you think I'm like him?" Punk asked her

"No" AJ said to him

"See?" he smirked "It's crazy talk"

"He was trying to help you" AJ told him and he looked confused "Arlo. Daniel said Arlo tried to kill him"

"I know" Punk said to her

"How do you feel about that?" she asked him

"I don't feel anything" Punk lied "I'm worried about you not Arlo"

"You should go see him before it's too late" AJ insisted

"The only thing I want to do is lay here with you" he said pulling her so her back was to his chest. He kissed her shoulder and curled into her. "You're my hero you know"

AJ didn't respond to the comment but she did smile to herself slightly. She grabbed his arms and made sure he held her tighter which he had no problem doing. Neither slept that night but they were comfortable just holding each other.


	63. Epilogue

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story but like all good things, this too must come to an end. I loved writing every word of it and hopefully this final chapter gives everyone closure. I'll be around, some one-shots are possible but I have to focus on other things in life right now. Thank you again and check out my Twitter ( Broe929) for any questions or info on new stories. Thanks again everyone :)**

* * *

**Epilogue**

* * *

**_7 years later…_**

"I'm confused" Punk said as they walked into the tiny apartment "I thought I was paying for you to dorm" Punk said to Dani who was now 19 going on 20 "This looks like an apartment"

"Last year I had so much trouble studying because of my roommate" Dani pouted

"Your grades didn't suffer" Punk pointed out "Did you know this was where our money was going?"

"Of course" AJ smirked looking around the spacious apartment in Chicago "I think it's a cute place and it's in a good neighborhood"

"If you didn't want to dorm why didn't you just come back home?" Punk asked Dani

"Ew" Dani said scrunching up her face "Why would I do that? It's just as noisy"

"It is not" Punk defended

"Jake running around constantly and Trevor is so young he's still always crying" Dani defended

"Trevor is 2 he doesn't cry that much" Punk defended. Punk and AJ got the surprise of a lifetime when she found she was pregnant for a second time, they weren't even trying but Trevor was a happy surprise.

"You have 2 children in the house I can't be distracted" Dani said firmly

"But if you live here you're not going to come back during winter break and holidays" Punk argued and AJ smiled at him

"I'm over like three times a week for dinner" Dani laughed

"But you'll be living here full-time" Punk said to her "And I'm sorry I'm not ok with you living by yourself you're way too young"

"Mom was my age when she moved to Chicago" Dani pointed out

"And she lived on campus and after that she had a roommate" Punk smirked "I win this argument" he said proudly then looked towards AJ "Right?" he asked her but she just laughed lightly

"Well I have a roommate" Dani assured him "So you can put that out of your head right now"

"Doesn't that make you feel better?" AJ asked Punk

"I guess" He said bitterly looking around the small apartment "There's only one bedroom. Your roommate sleeps on the couch?"

"No of course not" Dani said with a nervous laugh

"I'm paying rent here am I not?" Punk asked Dani then looked at AJ

"Yes" AJ laughed

"So you're not sleeping on the couch" Punk said with a laugh "No chance"

"I don't sleep on the couch either" Dani said quietly

"So you and your roommate sleep in one room? You got two beds in there?" Punk asked confused

"Phil" AJ said looking at him

"What?" Punk asked "I don't get it" he said with a shrug

"He sleeps in the bed with me" Dani blurted out and Punk looked at her

"Your roommate is a _he_?" Punk laughed "You're living with a boy and sleeping in the same bed as him?"

"Yea" Dani smiled "Isn't that great? And he has a great job and pays half of the rent so I won't need as much money from you anymore" she cheered "Yay!"

"Phil?" AJ asked carefully

"This is what a stroke feels like" Punk said sitting on the couch slowly

"Are you ok?" Dani asked concerned

"You knew she was living with a boy?" Punk asked shooting AJ a glare

"No she only just found out the other day" Dani assured him "I wanted to tell you both at the same time but mom came by and she kind of stumbled upon the information"

"Is he a student here? Do I get to meet the boy?" Punk asked her

"Yea he goes to school here but he's a little older" Dani said nervously

"Oh fuck no" Punk said standing up

"Phil" AJ warned

"It's that professor!" Punk yelled

"No, no it's not" Dani sighed annoyed at the memory. She did date one of the younger professors at her school but he wasn't her professor. When she bought him for dinner to meet her family it was the second worst experience she had ever had with a man…

* * *

_"Don't be nervous" Dani said to the 28 year old man, ten years old then Dani to be exact. "Also don't let my dad intimidate you" she said fixing his suit_

_"This is a nice home, your folks really live here?" Derrick asked her_

_"No this is my grandparents house" Dani said to him as she rang the bell "Sunday dinner is a big deal with the family"_

_"They don't mind me coming to dinner or mind that I'm a professor?" he asked her_

_"Um I didn't mention your occupation or age" Dani admitted with a laugh_

_"Are you kidding me Dani?" Derrick hissed and that's when the door swung open_

_"Kid" Dean grinned opening his arms and Dani hugged him_

_"Hey Uncle Dean" Dani said to him_

_"Who are you?" Dean asked pointing to the man "Did you take a cab here? Is he your cab driver?"_

_"No he's my date" Dani said proudly locking her arm around Derricks's_

_"You mean your date's father?" Dean asked confused_

_"Where are Aunt Mia and the baby?" Dani asked walking inside with a reluctant Derrick_

_"She's putting the baby down for a nap" Dean said closing the door. Dean and Mia had been married for two years and just had a baby a few months back. "Does your dad know about him?" he asked her "Or your grandfather?" he asked seriously_

_"It's a surprise" Dani said to him happily_

_"You do realize she's 18?" Dean asked Derrick_

_"Yes I do" Derrick said to him_

_"And how old are you?" Dean asked_

_"That's rude" Dani scolded_

_"I'm a rude guy" Dean replied "Seriously what are you, 40?"_

_"28" Derrick said to him "I'm a professor at Dani's school"_

_"Oh my god your dad is going to kill him" Dean laughed "I normally would but I'll give Punk that pleasure" he then turned and walked away "Hey Punk! Your kid is here! You've gotta see what she brought to dinner"_

_"Your dad's name is Punk?" Derrick asked Dani nervously_

_"It's a nickname" Dani shrugged_

_"Does your mom even know about me?" Derrick asked her_

_"I was going to tell her" Dani admitted "I really was but when I started I realized even she wasn't too onboard with it so I didn't finish telling her. Besides she'd never keep it from my dad and he'd flip out and I want him to know what an amazing man you are before he judges you" she smiled sweetly and kissed him._

_"Dani!" a little voice squealed running towards her_

_"Hey Jake!" Dani grinned picking him up and hugging him_

_"I've missed you" he said holding her tightly "Are you still taking me to the carnival next weekend?"_

_"I wouldn't miss it for the world" Dani smiled "Where's Trevor?"_

_"Ugh he was crying again" Jake said rolling his eyes as Dani put him down "He always cries"_

_"You were a lot like that too" Dani teased "Jake this is my friend"_

_"How do you do?" Jake asked politely sticking out his hand_

_"Hi there" Derrick smiled kneeling down "How old are you?"_

_"I'm 6, how old are you?" Jake asked cutely_

_"He's cute" Derrick smiled looking up at Dani_

_"Answer my son" Punk said walking towards them. Derrick looked over to the man covered in tattoos and stood up tall._

_"Hi dad" Dani smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek_

_"Hi honey" Punk smirked "Dean said you bought a friend?" he asked looking over to Derrick_

_"They were kissing" Jake tattled_

_"I'm sure you didn't see correctly" Punk laughed placing his hand on Jake's shoulder "Because if a professor from the college my daughter attends came in here and kissed my barely legal daughter he would know that I would call the school and have him fired"_

_"He's not my professor" Dani defended and Punk just nodded "He was my professor but I dropped the class" she told him_

_"Even though I promised her an easy A" Derrick joked hoping to break the ice but Punk didn't find the joke funny_

_"Oh no" AJ mumbled walking into the room with a baby on her hip "Dani I thought we discussed this"_

_"You knew she was kissing her professor?" Punk asked his wife_

_"Dani called me and mentioned an older date" AJ admitted "But I told her that her studies was more important" she said glaring towards Dani_

_"My grades are great!" Dani laughed nervously_

_"Mrs. Brooks it's a pleasure to meet you" Derrick greeted shaking her hand_

_"Hi" AJ said politely "Well dinner is ready and Jennifer is waiting on you" she said to Dani._

_"Great" Dani said with a forced smile._

_The dinner was filled with awkward questions but the worst part was how Devon sat in the seat in-between Dani and her date._

_"Do you realize how unethical it is to carry on a relationship with one of your students?" Devon asked casually as he took a bite out of his food_

_"Devon" Jennifer warned_

_"It's true" Punk defended_

_"I think it's romantic" Mia smiled towards Derrick "And you are very handsome"_

_"Thank you" Derrick smiled at her_

_"Yes very handsome for a man of your age" Dean agreed_

_"I didn't say a word" Punk said to Dani who was glaring at him for the snide remarks_

_"I know this seems odd but Dani is very mature for her age" Derrick said to the family_

_"She is very mature" Elliot agreed "But the question is are you? Do you make it habit of dating students?"_

_"No sir" Derrick said shifting in his seat "And like I said I don't see Dani as an 18 year old girl I see her as a grown woman. I mean she's amazing" he said smiling towards Dani who blushed at the comment "And she takes such great care of me, cooks and cleans-"_

_"Cooks and cleans?" Punk mocked "She should be in her dorm studying"_

_"She only spends the weekends at my place and I make sure she gets her studying done" Derrick assured him earning a dirty look from the men of the table_

_"You spend the weekends at his apartment?" Punk asked Dani_

_"I'm an adult" Dani reminded him_

_"No you're my 18 year old daughter not his live in girlfriend and where do you sleep when you're at his apartment?" Punk asked her_

_"Where do you think?" Dani asked folding her arms in defiance_

_"We should discuss this privately" AJ said placing her hand over Punk's knee to calm him down_

_"No it's way past that" Punk said waving it off "Get the fuck out" he said standing up and looking at Derrick_

_"Dad!" Dani yelled_

_"No and if you ever look at my daughter again losing your job is going to be the last of your fucking problems!" Punk yelled at him_

_"I knew this was going to happen" Mia whispered to AJ_

_"Mr. Brooks your daughter is an amazing woman" Derrick defended standing up "I love the time I spend with her and I treat well"_

_"I don't want someone who treats her 'well' I want someone who is her fucking age and treats her like gold!" Punk yelled backing the man out of the kitchen_

_"I really enjoy our time together-" Derrick said nervously_

_"Of course you do. You're 28 sleeping with an 18 year old girl why wouldn't you!" He screamed "You wont be touching my daughter ever again though" he warned him backing him all the way up to the front door "Because I will call that school that I make very sizeable donations to and I will tell them about this, then I'm going to have you watched like a fucking hawk and if you even look in Dani's direction again you're going to meet my friend Roman" he said with a sinister smile "Roman is a huge Samoan you won't be able to miss him and he's not going to be as nice as I'm being right now! Also I suggest you enjoy your apartment while you can because those types of places require you to pay rent which will be difficult being jobless and all. You'll have to bring your other female students back to your parents house to be your slaves!"_

_"Dad stop!" Dani yelled walking towards them_

_"Don't say a fucking word" Punk hissed at the man "Walk out of here and don't come back"_

_"Sorry Dani" Derrick said quickly and ran out the door._

_"Derrick wait!" Dani yelled trying to chase after him but Punk grabbed her arm "How could you do this to me!" she yelled "Why do you hate me?"_

_"I did this because I love you and you deserve better, you'll thank me for it later" Punk told her coldly and watched as she reached for her jacket._

_"Wait Derrick!" Dani yelled but he already pulled out of the driveway_

_"Guess he didn't feel the same way about you that you did for him" Punk shrugged innocently_

_"You ruined everything!" Dani cried and stormed up the stairs_

_"Dani wait" AJ sighed chasing after her_

_"What?" Punk asked the small group that was watching him_

_"That was a little much, no?" Jennifer said shaking her head at him as she followed AJ up the stairs_

_"You also woke up both babies" Mia scolded storming past him_

_"I think you handled it very well" Dean said simply and the other men nodded_

* * *

"He hasn't spoken to me since you chased him out of grandma and grandpa's house" Dani said annoyed

"Smart man" Punk said to her "So who is it?"

"Well first of all you were right when you told me Derrick didn't care about me and I'd thank you later because it lead me to this moment and the best part is you already know him" Dani grinned

"Oh no" Punk said as realization hit him "It's fucking Joey? Didn't he move to New York?"

"He's decided to finish school out here with me" Dani said with a smile "Isn't that romantic?"

"Totally" Punk mocked

"You like Joey" AJ reminded Punk "He's going to be going to med school out here" she informed him

"Really?" Punk asked AJ unsurely

"Really" Dani confirmed "And unlike any other man I have ever been with he completely respects me don't you want that for me?" she asked Punk

"Yea Phil?" AJ asked looking at him trying not to laugh

"Of course" Punk said looking at Dani "I want you happy and Joey is a much better choice over the professor or the construction worker for that matter"

"I mean a doctor is awesome" AJ said to Punk

"I just don't understand why you have to live with him" Punk defended "I mean you're still trying to figure out what you want to do with school and you can't pick a major-"

"I actually have decided which is why I wanted you both here" Dani told him

"You've got our attention" AJ said anxiously

"I've thought about it a lot and I've decided on studying Law" Dani said to them

"That's great!" AJ cheered

"That is great" Punk agreed "But that's a lot of work wouldn't studying be difficult with Joey here?"

"Give up the Joey thing" AJ said to him

"He's going to be here any minute and I'd like you not chase him with a hammer" Dani said to him

"What?" Punk asked offended

"Phil" AJ warned "Promise her you will be nice and not chase Joey with any kind of weapon"

"When have I ever been anything but nice and polite to that little prick?" Punk asked her

"Really?" Dani asked glaring at her father

* * *

_Dani checked her hair in the mirror for the hundredth time and checking out her outfit. Joey was visiting from school this weekend and he promised Dani he would stop by her place first. She knew he was away in school and the last thing he was probably thinking about was her but she had changed a lot physically over that time and wanted to make sure he noticed. Thankfully Jake was at a Blackhwaks game with Devon and Elliot while her parents went to the club to work and she had told her parents she'd be spending the night at her friend Clarissa's house. Everything fell into place perfectly. It was almost nine when the doorbell rang. Dani smoothed out her dress and let Joey in._

_"Dani, wow" Joey smiled looking at her_

_"Hi Joey" she blushed slightly._

_The two spoke for an hour and ate takeout and Dani hung on every word he said. She had candles lit around the place in hopes he'd catch on to her romantic vibe and thankfully he did._

_"Dani I'm going back to school" Joey reminded her_

_"I know I just…I can't stop thinking about you" Dani said with wide eyes "I want my first time be with you"_

_After talking a little bit longer they headed upstairs to her bedroom where Dani played soft music on her radio and she didn't even hear the front door open._

_"We should have stayed at work" AJ giggled as Punk's lips latched onto her neck as his hands began to already move over jacket to unbutton it._

_"Empty house tonight" Punk reminded her "I want to fuck you in every room of this house-" he stopped speaking and pulled away from AJ once he closed the door behind him._

_"You set this up?" AJ asked him referring to the candles_

_"No I thought you did" Punk said unsurely and the two walked into the kitchen and saw two dishes that had some food left on it. He looked at the table and saw Dani's phone there. "I thought Dani was going to Clarissa's?" he asked her_

_"That's what she told us" AJ shrugged and Punk's face turned into a scowl and he turned and walked out of the kitchen "Where are you going?" AJ asked standing in his way_

_"Let's see our 16 year old daughter clearly hosted a romantic date here, unsupervised and alone" Punk said to her "She's nowhere to be found so I could only assume she's upstairs alone with said date"_

_"Phil you can't barge in on her" AJ insisted and he laughed_

_"Are you fucking kidding me? This is my house" Punk reminded her and pushed past her and marched up the stairs. AJ let out a sigh and chased after him._

_"She doesn't even have a boyfriend" AJ reminded him as she trailed after him_

_"Yea so I'm really curious" Punk said as he stopped in front of Dani's room_

_"Let me go in first" AJ said grabbing his arm but Punk swung the door open and two bodies under blankets froze_

_"Hi daddy" Dani forced out nervously_

_"Oh no" AJ mumbled_

_"Mr &amp; Mrs. Brooks-" Joey started pulling away from Dani and wrapping a bed sheet around his waist_

_"Run" Punk instructed the shaking boy_

_"Dad don't" Dani pleaded but Joey barely had his jeans on when Punk chased after him._

_"Mom make him stop!" Dani cried as Punk chased Joey out of the room and all the way down the stairs. Joey didn't even have a shirt as he ran in fear from her father._

* * *

"There was no hammer" Punk scoffed

"You picked one up downstairs and chased him for three blocks" Dani reminded him coldly

"Oh right" Punk smiled at the memory "And yet here he is, back again"

"Be nice he might be your son in law one day" Dani warned

"What a thought" Punk remarked annoyed

* * *

Punk and AJ walked into the house and he still wasn't thrilled with the way things turned out tonight.

"I don't trust him" Punk said removing his jacket

"He's a good guy and we should be lucky that Dani is with him because there's worse men in the world" AJ reminded him as she took off her jacket

"Yea whatever" Punk said annoyed as he plopped on the couch

"Do you hear that?" AJ asked him

"Hear what?" Punk asked turning on ESPN "I don't hear anything"

"Exactly" AJ smiled "No crying baby, no screaming child running around with a hockey stick" Punk turned off the TV and stood up and began to remove his pants "Hold on" she laughed

"The game is almost over and Jake will be back here in an hour" Punk reminded her "And he's at that annoying age where he wants to sleep in our bed with us" he reminded her "We literally have to sneak out to work to have sex"

"I know which is why I don't want to rush it" AJ smiled "Get your bathing suit on"

"I don't want to put clothes on I want to take them off" Punk argued

"Meet me in the hot tub" she grinned then walked up the stairs

"Seriously running out of time!" Punk shouted "My mom is bringing Trevor back too!"

"Relax!" he heard her laugh and he rolled his eyes

When AJ stepped outside and walked towards the hot tub Punk was already anxiously awaiting her. The water was steaming and his hands were rubbing together anxiously.

"Do you remember the last time we had sex in the hot tub?" she teased

"Yea" Punk said nervously scratching the back of his head "I didn't think you could get pregnant in a hot tub, sorry" he smirked then his face turned to stone "Are you telling me you're pregnant?"

"Would I be getting into a hot tub right now if I was?" she teased removing her robe to reveal she had nothing on underneath.

"Two kids later and your body is still amazing" Punk said licking his lips as she stepped into the hot tub. "Wait do you want to get pregnant again?" he asked her "I thought you said you were done but if you want one or three more-"

"Nuh-uh" AJ teased "I'm done" she said moving to straddle his body and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him tenderly

"Can you believe you went from never having children to having three?" he asked her

"Yea we beat that 5% twice" AJ smirked "Plus Dani. I just can't believe after you were so adamant about children and marriage for that matter you still want more"

"I was never against marriage" Punk argued

"You didn't even want me to be your girlfriend" AJ snorted "Remember Sunday dinner here? I had to tell you I'd be with other men and dress up like a tramp to get you to change your mind"

"I would have changed it eventually" Punk said running his hands down her spine

"You're pretty stubborn" AJ smirked "You didn't even look in my direction when you walked into Elliot's office"

"I gave a quick glance. The wink that Maria thought was for her was for you actually" he admitted with a grin "Then you showed up at my club in your adorable little chucks"

"I only went in hopes of running into you" AJ admitted

"When you 'left' your wallet at the club and I returned it the next day to you, you didn't really leave it" Punk informed her "I picked it from your purse so I'd have an excuse to see you again"

"You sneaky man" AJ teased kissing his lips. Punk slipped two fingers into her and she pulled away from his lips and let out a sigh. "You have the touch of an angel"

"I've been called a lot of things in my life" Punk chuckled as he continued to move his fingers

"It's never boring with you" She said

"Oh I know that look" Punk grinned "Let go" he said curling his digits inside of her "Come on baby, cum for me"

"You always make me go too fast" she pouted

"Oh you know I'll make you cum at least two more times" he grinned arrogantly and moved his thumb over her clit. AJ began to jerk into his hand until she finally came. "Wasn't that fun?" he teased kissing her cheek

"Yes" She smiled wildly

"You didn't put a suit on" AJ smirked feeling his hardness poke at her entrance

"Why waste unnecessary time?" Punk asked seriously. Punk's hands wandered to her ass and he squeezed it tightly.

"Ouch" she giggled then stopped talking when she felt his finger slip elsewhere

"I know you like that my kinky little weird wife" he said proudly

"Stop teasing me" She ordered

"I love to tease you" Punk said as she pushed into his groin "I want you in pieces, I want you to be quivering and not sure you can take anymore then I want you to beg me"

"You are so sick" she teased as his mouth lowered to he breasts while his finger continued to move "You used to hate having sex outside" she reminded him as he sucked on her nipple "Oh!" she moaned.

"I'd have sex with you anywhere" Punk grinned "As long as you made those little noises and tightened around me every time" he then moved his moth over to her other nipple and he knew she was again getting close.

"Phil" She moaned as her mouth widened, she wanted to scream out but all the touching and sucking was driving her nuts.

"That's it baby" he encouraged, his free hand moved her front again and again began to massage her already sensitive clit. "I need you sweetheart let go" he begged and she finally did. "Two down, one to go" he said proudly

"I'm actually really spent" She said with a sigh and his eyes practically jumped out of his head "You can take care of yourself right?" she asked him then moved off of him

"But-" he started "The kids will be back and I'm-" he looked down and his hardness was boarder line painful

"It's not nice is it?" AJ teased moving back over him only this time lifting her hips and dropping onto him.

"Mean" he grunted as his hands moved to her hips to control her pace

"You like it though" She teased

"I like you" He smirked. AJ leaned down and kissed him passionately.

AJ continued to kiss him until the urge to scream became to much and placed her arms on his chest while she let him lift her and drop her onto him.

"I'm so close Phil" She cried out

"Me too baby" He assured her and rested his head against he hot tub while he let her take full control. A few minutes later both came at the same time.

"I think we made another baby" he teased and she shot her head up and glared at him

"Any more pregnancy cracks and you won't be getting lucky until you get snipped" she threatened

"No more jokes" He said very seriously "Ever"

"Good boy" she grinned kissing lips again.

* * *

_**Three months later…**_

AJ was upstairs in her bedroom while downstairs was filled with family to celebrate Punk's birthday. She paced back and forth and froze when the door open but was relieved to see Dani step in with a bag.

"I thought you had trouble conceiving" Dani said passing AJ a bag of pregnancy tests "Now it's like you're a Duggar"

"Thanks Dani" AJ remarked annoyed

"Just saying" Dani shrugged plopping onto the bed

"Where's Joey?" AJ asked as she took the few boxes she had gotten for her mother.

"He's downstairs watching the game with dad" Dani shrugged "I think they're really clicking"

"Yea your dad likes him" AJ smirked as she read the back of one box "You can tell because he actually lets him into the house. How is living with him by the way?"

"He's wonderful" Dani smiled "He cooks and cleans" she said proudly

"Can you teach him how to do laundry so you can stop dropping yours off here every two weeks?" AJ teased

"You know you love seeing me with my laundry" Dani smiled "So does dad know you've got a bun in the oven?"

"I don't even know yet" AJ said to her "I don't want to say anything until I'm sure"

"I mean aren't you careful?" Dani asked and AJ shot her another glare

"Yes Dani we're careful" she mocked

"Well I am excited for another sibling I bet it'll be a boy" Dani grinned

"Oh god" AJ cried out "They're so messy. I just don't think I can do this again I mean Trevor is still in diapers!"

"He's going to be three soon" Dani pointed out "And you're an amazing woman and even more amazing mom"

"You think so?" AJ asked her seriously

"Of course" Dani said to her with a smile "You gave me the best life ever and raised me and helped shape me into a pretty ok woman I think"

"You're amazing" AJ said genuinely

"And I credit you and dad for that" Dani said honestly "And don't worry I'll help in anyway I can. I'll even move back home for the summer and all breaks"

"That's very sweet but you don't have to do that" AJ smiled at her "But I do appreciate the offer"

"I hope I make as good as mom as you do" Dani said to her and AJ almost fainted

"Are you-" AJ started

"No!" Dani yelled out quickly "I want to be married first" She said proudly

"Good girl" AJ smiled

"And unlike you and dad, Joey and I are super careful" Dani said taking a stab at AJ

"Oh that's good to hear I'll make sure to tell your father that" AJ said with a smug smile and Dani's face fell "Don't worry it's not like your father will go to your place every night and make Joey sleep on the couch or anything" she laughed to herself "Or kill him"

"Speaking of that" Dani forced out "You did the right thing"

"What?" AJ asked her

"I know it was you who killed Daniel" Dani said to her and AJ's face fell "You saved Dad's life I don't understand why you've kept a secret all these years"

"How did you know?" AJ asked quietly feeling embarrassed

"The night of I was afraid to sleep and tried to sneak into your room to sleep with you guys and I heard you talking. You were so sad and angry at yourself that I never bought up" Dani admitted "I also remember you going to therapy afterwards"

"I'm sorry Dani" AJ said sitting next to her

"Don't be sorry I just wanted you to know that I'm not ashamed of you" Dani told her honestly "I think you're an incredibly brave and loving woman and you would do anything for your family and I hope to be half the woman you are"

"You just-" AJ started but cried and threw her arms around Dani

"Don't even take the test I know you're pregnant" Dani laughed hugging her back "Crying fits are your specialty"

"Ok I need to take these you're the lookout" AJ said standing up

"Done" Dani said proudly

* * *

Punk was sitting on the couch with Trevor on his lap and Joey next to him while Jake leaned as closely to the TV as possible.

"You're going to hurt your eyes Jake lean back" Punk instructed "You're going to med-school tell him"

"Of course sir" Joey said nervously "He's right Jake" he added

"So Jake how is it going living with my little girl?" Punk asked casually

"Um good" Joey said shifting uncomfortably

"Yea?" Punk asked him "Is she getting all of her work done?"

"She really wants to get into law school so she's busting her butt" Joey assured him

"Good to know" Punk said coolly

"I really care about your daughter" Joey said to him and Punk nodded "Ever since the day I met her"

"Yea I know" Punk said annoyed looking at the screen

"I love her" Joey blurted out

"I should hope so you are living with her" Punk remarked annoyed

"I want to marry your daughter" Joey told him and Punk looked towards him "Not right now" he added before Punk could kill him "But I don't want you to be surprised when I eventually do come to you about this"

"Well I don't want you to be surprised when I tell you no" Punk replied "She's not even twenty"

"We won't get married until after she graduates" Joey assured him "But I want her to know she's not wasting her time with me"

"That's why you want to put a ring on her finger?" Punk asked him

"I want to put it there because I love her and I want the world to know it" Joey said seriously "I'll take good care of her" he promised Punk "And not just because you terrify me but because she deserves nothing less"

"She's too young and so are you" Punk pointed out "Give it a little time and see where you two are going to go off to school after this" he insisted "And after that and you still make her happy I won't kill you or anything" he added quietly

"I'll take that as a blessing" Joey said happily

"Not a blessing" Punk added "Like I said you both need to be in school longer. I want her to get a good degree and enjoy her life in college before she settles down as an adult and you should do the same"

"Are you two getting along?" Dani asked

"Like two peas in a pod" Punk grinned towards his daughter

"Joey?" she asked looking for confirmation from him

"Yea it's been great" Joey assured her

"Good" Dani said Trevor from Punk

"Dan, Dan" Trevor giggled grabbing her nose

"Mom wants to see you upstairs" Dani informed him

"Oh crap" he mumbled "What did I do now? Am in trouble?"

"You have no idea" Dani laughed

"But it's my birthday" he defended "Jennifer is almost done cooking and the game-"

"I don't think she wants to wait" Dani warned him

"Fuck" he muttered standing up

"Fuck!" Jake yelled and started to laugh

"No, bad word" Punk scolded

"Swear jar" Dani laughed

"I hate that fucking jar" he muttered walking up the stairs

* * *

Once Punk reached his bedroom he opened the door only a crack and stuck his head in first.

"I'm here" Punk announced then slowly stepped in. "I don't know what I did-" He stopped upon seeing AJ with her hands on her hips and glaring at him "Crap" he said swallowing a lump in his throat

"You know what you did" AJ said narrowing her eyes at him

"I really don't" Punk said to her innocently

"You knocked me up again!" AJ yelled and his eyes widened

"I did?" Punk asked with a grin pointing to himself

"Yes you did" AJ scolded

"You're in charge of the protection" Punk reminded her smugly "You wanted to get pregnant again" he laughed

"I must have forgotten my pill" AJ mumbled

"So you got yourself pregnant" he defended not even hiding his joy at the news

"I believe it takes two" AJ hissed

"Stop pretending like you're not over the moon" Punk smiled wide "Don't even sit there and pretend to be angry" he grinned and she ran towards him and he caught her in his arms. AJ reached down and kissed him passionately.

"Happy Birthday" she said glowing

"It is now" he said kissing her again as her legs remained wrapped his waist. "I love you so fucking much"

"I love you too" she said happily

"Seriously the best gift ever" Punk said to her

"Well then I guess you don't want your other gift" She teased

"Nothing will top this gift" Punk said seriously

"How about a trip back to Hawaii?" AJ asked titling her head at him and again his eyes lit up "Just us and the kids"

"All of us together?" Punk asked her

"Yea with Dani in school we don't get to see her as much and this way we could all be together for a week" AJ said to him

"I love it" He said to her "I can't wait to spend a week in Hawaii with my family"

"And Joey" She added and he gave her a sad look "I invited him because he makes her very happy and you will not ruin this trip"

"Fine" Punk said to her "I don't even care because you're making me a father for a third time"

"I can't believe I almost didn't take the job with your father" AJ said to him "Where would I be today without you?"

"I would have found you" Punk assured her "We would have found each other."

"Well at least I'll be at home for now" AJ said climbing off of Punk

"You're not going to work at the club anymore?" Punk asked trying again to hide his excitement. Punk had been begging her to stay at home and just let him work but she wouldn't budge on it.

"I got signed" AJ told him "That was another big surprise for your birthday dinner"

"Your journals…" Punk trailed off

"The publisher loved them and I'm going to start re-writing them and editing them down soon. I'm finally going to be an author" she said happily and he hugged her

"That's fucking amazing" he said to her genuinely "I'm so proud of you"

"And obviously I can do the writing at home so I can be with the kids" AJ said o him

"Well I'm going to be home more too" Punk assured her "I'm going to hire a manager so I can be here more often"

"Good because three children under the age of 6 isn't going to be easy" AJ warned him

"I love a challenge" Punk reminded her happily "You should know that better than anyone"

"I am not a challenge" AJ smirked

"Yes you are and I wouldn't you any other way" Punk said to her

"One marriage and four children later you think I'm a challenge?" She laughed

"It was a bumpy road" Punk said to her

"It was but not marriage wise" AJ said honestly "I think we always did ok, no cheating, no lying the bumps came from outsiders"

"That is true" Punk agreed "Four kids wow" Punk said with a smile that faded and he looked a little pale

"Phil? Are you ok? You want me to call Joey up here?" AJ asked concerned

"He's not a real fucking doctor" Punk spat "And no I'm ok it's just hitting me all at once"

"Are you sure you're not having a heart attack?" AJ asked him

"How old do you think I am?" Punk asked her amused "I'm fine just a little shocked that's all"  
"You're not old enough to continuously get me pregnant" AJ smirked at him

"Never doubt me and my little boys" Punk smirked at her and AJ rolled her eyes

"We should get down there before people start looking for us" AJ said to him

"Yea ok" Punk said standing up "Can I tell them?" he asked anxiously

"Sure" She laughed "It's not like anyone can keep a secret in this family anyway" she said as he took her hand and walked her out of the room and down the stairs.

"Hey everyone!" Punk shouted causing everyone to look at him "We're having a baby!"

* * *

AJ did end up having a third boy nine months later named Anthony. AJ also published her book while Punk did hire a manager so he could help around the house. Jake joined a junior league hockey team and played hockey all the way up until college. Trevor actually took up wrestling and body building and neither AJ or Punk were sure where that came from and little Anthony grew up to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and worked at Klein industries with Devon. Dani on the other hand got into law school and graduated after a lot of hard work. Her and Joey had issues along the way but they did eventually get married and like her parents did for her they opted to adopt a child before having their own. And just like Punk and promised her before they had gotten married they grew old together surrounded by their children and grandchildren…..


End file.
